The Dream of Albion
by Groulien
Summary: Sequel to "Stealing servants, stealing hearts" but can be read by itself. Merlin and Morgana struggle with their newfound feelings but life goes on and it is still Merlin's destiny to protect Albion, but is it his destiny alone? AU Merlin/Morgana Arthur/Gwen
1. Remains of the Day

**AN:**  
The Dream of Albion is an AU based upon my story _Stealing servants, stealing hearts_ but you don't have to read it, chapter 1 will explain the state the world is in.  
This is not a rewrite of season 2 although some elements from that season do return. This fanfic will start out with Merlin and Arthur adventuring in which, with each chapter, Morgana becomes increasingly important and turning this into a Merlin/Morgana centred adventure story. Most people get what they deserve but still not without risks.  
The moment in time is between _The Once and Future Queen_ and _The Nightmare Begins_, the latter does not happen.

With a romance story as prequel, this introductory chapter is rather fluffy and perhaps a bit boring but the rest is more action packed.

* * *

**Remains of the day**

Merlin had admitted to Morgana he loved her and, just a few hours ago, that he had magic. It was a difficult choice to make and even now, sitting together in her room, the shock of it was still settling in. But telling her he had magic wasn't as difficult as the future would be, for what was the future? He had never been in a relationship before. It was scary and daunting but he trusted her with his life and his heart, that was all he could give her. There were still questions that needed answering and Morgana seemed, for the lack of a better word, excited being able to ask them. She refrained from asking random questions and instead looked at the past they shared.  
"Your friend, Will, was he really a sorcerer?" It was one of the more recent things she remembered and now knowing Merlin was a sorcerer made her doubt Will's words. Merlin shook his head at the memory of his friend's death, he was the first to have made such a sacrifice for him.  
"Who else knows you're a sorcerer?" She asked.  
"Mother and Gaius. I never told anyone, everyone always found out." He answered. There was another who knew, Lancelot, but that had slipped his mind completely.  
"I'm the first you've told?" Morgana asked confused, it seemed so unlikely it would be like that, that there was no one else he trusted enough to tell himself.  
"Yes." Merlin spoke plainly. Oddly enough it was something he took pride in, hiding has secret was a burden and Morgana being there and accepting who he was took away a lot of the pressure.  
"Not that I doubt you but... could you show me?" Morgana asked a bit shy trying not to hurt his feelings. Merlin merely chuckled, it was true he hadn't shown her anything yet and thus far it had only been words. He reached out to an unlit candlestick and cast the incantation. The candlestick slowly flew into the palms of his hand for him to grab it. As he took it and put it on the table he saw Morgana showing a slight smile, was she enjoying this?  
"Would you like to see more?" Merlin asked. Morgana's smile widened and she nodded, she _was_ enjoying it. The warlock put his hand against each other as if he had caught a ladybug and whispered a spell. He slowly removed his top hand to reveal a small flame dancing in the palm of his hand. Hearing the door handle Merlin quickly closed his hand, instantly dispelling the flame.

Entering the room was Gwen, who had helped Merlin decide whether or not to tell Morgana about his magic but that didn't mean she knew as well. Gaius almost knew less than Gwen, he knew of Merlin's magic but not about his relationship with Morgana and neither that he told her of his magic. The two looked at Gwen just as shocked as she looked at them.  
"I should start knocking again, shouldn't I?" Gwen asked grinning like an idiot. Merlin and Morgana sitting so close together and looking so guilty seemed like a good thing to her.  
"Yes." The couple answered in unison and Gwen's grin grew even wider.  
"Why aren't you with Arthur?" Morgana asked curiously, usually she woulnd't pass up any opportunity to be with him.  
"The King wanted to speak with his son in private." Gwen regrettably informed them.  
"He does that." Merlin said, but what was meant as an idle comment had instead brought both women's eyes upon him.  
"What do they talk about?" Gwen asked intensely, if this was going to happen on a regular basis then she would need to know these things.  
"No idea." He lied believably for once. Uther and Arthur talked about all sorts of things, from arranged marriages to his father's memories of his mother.  
"Also, Arthur wanted to talk with you, I think he's angry with you."  
"He always is. You go on ahead, I won't be long."  
Gwen nodded with a cheeky smile and left.  
Merlin rubbed his face. If Gwen hadn't known about his relationship with Morgana then things would've become very awkward and even more complicated.  
"That was close." Morgana sighed.  
"Welcome to my life." He smiled. But looking into his eyes she saw the pain, sadness and fear hidden underneath. Only now did she truly realise and understand what Merlin must have been going through since his arrival in Camelot. She believed many of his clumsy and awkward moments in the past were him trying to cover up his magic. He had been protecting Arthur with his life even though, at least at the beginning, he might've have him executed just for being who he was. He was more than a man, more than just a sorcerer, even greater than the King for he was the better man.  
"I am, aren't I?" Morgana pressed her lips upon his again to take his mind off things. Breaking away from each other she could see Merlin was blushing, all this was still quite new to him as it had been only today they agreed to be a couple.  
"Always saving the world and yet so shy around women." Morgana teased him.  
"That's because you're not just any woman." Merlin replied.  
"And don't you forget it."

Gwen went back to Arthur and tidied his bed, again, she had done it in the earlier that day but they had messed it up later that morning.  
"How was your talk with your father?" She asked.  
"Fine." Arthur replied completely uninterested or bored of it.  
"What did you talk about?" Gwen asked.  
"Matters of state, not very interesting." Arthur replied. Already Gwen could feel a wall of secrecy between them. Merlin said he didn't know, probably because he didn't believe this little lie either.  
"You're not hiding anything from me, are you?" Gwen asked slightly concerned.  
"Only what's beneath these clothes." Arthur tried to steer away from the topic. "Unless you've peeked." He added.  
"Arthur!" She warned him playfully, he was in a reasonable good mood and for the sake of keeping it that way she slyly added "Don't tempt me." The Prince grinned at her clever remark. As with Merlin, he was a bit of a bad influence on her and she a good one on him. He sometimes told her things, matters of state, to test her. Surprisingly she usually had a good point of view on it. He was not, however, completely convinced all of it was really her and not a few tricks she learned from Morgana. But today he and his father hadn't actually talked matters of state and so he kept quiet.

Gwen knew he might be testing her with political questions, a rare few with moral ambiguity, and such but she wasn't quite sure yet. Her answers never led to discussions which begged the question, did she answer right or wrong? Then Merlin entered the room and immediately received a raised eyebrow from Arthur.  
"Where have you been?" The Prince asked, almost demanding and reprimanding.  
"Helping Morgana." Merlin spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
"You spend an awful lot of time with her, you know?" Arthur's tone of voice had changed completely. Instead of angry or displeased he sounded a bit concerned.  
"And you don't know why?" Merlin stated confused, much to Arthur's annoyance the manservant once again let on he thought it rather obvious  
"Enlighten me." The annoyed Prince replied. Merlin merely turned his head towards Gwen and already the Prince cleared his throat in discomfort.  
"The King is bound to send you and the knights to investigate something soon enough, you'll have me all to yourself." He taunted him.  
"Just serve Morgana for the rest of the day, alright?" And Arthur thought that would settle the matter only Merlin chose to disagree. He couldn't outright agree with him and begin skipping down the corridor, that would be suspicious.  
"As much as I'd like to get away from you, I don't think she'll agree." Merlin argued.  
"Why not?" This took the Prince's full attentions though it remained unclear why, whether it was for his and Gwen's sake or that of Morgana.  
"Well, we're running out of things to talk about." Merlin explained. Gwen snickered at his statement knowing there would be little talking regardless, and decided to cover it up with a cough. Merlin caught on and knew Arthur really was a bad influence on her.  
"Then convince her or I'll make sure you'll have plenty to talk about tomorrow, most importantly how you mucked out the stables." The royal pratness had come to the surface once more but Merlin knew Arthur needed the tug of war he had grown accustomed to.  
"Fine." Merlin sighed more out of his hidden desire for Morgana than for anything else.

Morgana was surprised when Merlin entered her room again, without knocking as well.  
"Back already?" She asked.  
"_Refer to Gwen, refuse once and wait for him to threaten you_. Is this how you usually fool him?" Merlin asked.  
"Somewhere along those lines, yes." Morgana admitted.  
Merlin grinned, Morgana had given him a few pointers on fooling Arthur so he wouldn't arouse suspicion. Arthur wasn't an idiot but with the right words he could be fooled quite easily, a skill Morgana had honed over many years of bickering.  
"You've got me for the rest of the day." Merlin mused.  
"I've got a dress that needs mending but I've got different _chores_ for you." She spoke seductively.  
"Which dress?" Merlin said as he moved towards her wardrobe. Morgana tutted, he had pulled her head from the clouds as this wasn't the chore she had in mind for him at all. This had to be one of the things she didn't like about Merlin, business before pleasure.  
"The blue one but Gwen can do it." Morgana argued but Merlin was already going through her dresses and pulled it out. Morgana nodded a bit annoyed and he laid it out on the bed.  
"Right sleeve." Morgana spoke annoyed, Merlin was supposed to be doing something more important than looking at a dress he wouldn't be mending anyway. Merlin beckoned her to come closer and, even more annoyed, she strutted over to him.  
"_Gestrice slite_" He chanted and she saw the two edges move together and merge as if it had never been torn at all.  
Morgana grinned. Such was Merlin, surprising and inimitable.  
"Show-off." She said as she poked him with her elbow.  
"Now," Merlin said as he hung the dress back in the wardrobe and turned back to Morgana. "what were these other _chores_ you were talking about?"

* * *

**AN:**

Merlin manipulating the Prince, and you thought Arthur was a bad influence. :P  
So much for the fluffy introductory chapter. The next one is action/adventure, plain and simple.

_"Gestrice slite"_ - "mend tear"


	2. The Strong Arm of the Law

**The Strong Arm of the Law**

His mother's ring was missing, some coward had nicked it off her, right off her hand. It upset the Man that such things could go unpunished but it infuriated him when it went unnoticed. Not that he'd let on, he rarely did that. A lot of things went missing at the moment in both Camelot and a few of the outlying villages, like the one he was from. The authorities did nothing but speculate or actually dismiss it completely and it left them helpless. But that didn't mean he was just going to leave it at that. The streets of Camelot were a good place to start, even during the day that thief would be skulking around somewhere. Mother wouldn't approve, he was supposed to help his father with the horses, but this was more important, at least it was to him. The ring wasn't just a piece of jewellery, it was an heirloom passed down from women in the family.

The market was crowded, the perfect place to find a pickpocket, or be pickpocketed. Not that it mattered at this point, the Man had far too little on him and merely the sight of him discouraged most of them. But this was not where he'd find the man that stole the heirloom, after all, he couldn't be the only thief in Camelot. The tavern was his next stop, that's where all the crooks would probably gather. The Man apparently made quite an entry, heads turning his way, he had that effect on people just not in this quantity. Moving over to the bar and ordering a drink, everyone went back to their daily lives. Who was he to ask about the thief? Maybe the Man shouldn't even mention the thief, those who knew and didn't tell the authorities were bound to be their friends. Thieves stole valuables to sell them, but to whom? Perhaps he should try to buy it back, or pretend to anyway.

The Man moved over to the bartender and asked if he knew where to get some affordable jewellery and said he had a girl he wanted to make his. The bartender nudged at a door next to the counter. It didn't feel right to go in the backroom but neither was buying jewellery from a fence. The backroom was dimly lit, why did 'the underworld' do that? Was it some sort of guild thing? The room was empty but its wooden walls still brown instead of green like those in the taproom. There was a large table and eight chairs of which now only one was occupied, by the fence. He was a shady man with an unusually long coat, the Man almost laughed as it seemed a bit like a dress.

The Man sat down across the fence who didn't speak a single word. It was rather unnerving but then again, there was no reason for the fence to speak at all, he didn't know if the stranger wanted to buy or sell.  
"I'm looking for a ring, for my girl." The man tried to begin the trade. The fence got a small chest from underneath the table and showed its contents to the buyer. There were three rings, a silver one with a blue stone, a silver painted one with the word 'forever' engraved on it and a plain silver one. He looked at the fence as he slowly reached for one of the rings to see if he allowed it, which he did. He was taking a look at the plain silver one and recognized the scratches on the inside.  
"This was my mother's." He said clenching it in his fist. The fence cocked his head, obviously not impressed, and knocked on the table with a rhythm of two, twice. A door from the taproom and a door going out the back opened letting in four armed men. He had gotten up with the fence standing before him, also armed, and still clenching the ring.  
"Either pay for it or leave it." The fence spoke. He might have muscle but he couldn't fight five armed men with his bare hands.  
"How much?" The Man asked.  
"300." The fence replied. Reluctantly he put the ring back on the table and left out the back door. In his mind he vowed that he would get the ring back, he now knew who had it. It didn't surprise him they didn't kill him on the spot, business was business and dead people don't pay, even if he couldn't afford it they must've thought he might come back when he did have the money.

* * *

The great amount of thefts and lack of arrests occuring in the lower town had cause a bit of unrest but the King assured them it was coincidence and that the matter would die down eventually. In other words, the King remained passive in hopes of it stopping by itself.

It was early in the morning and the Prince was ranting, yet another ordinary day in the castle.  
"Merlin, did you take the belt with the silver clasp?" Arthur asked.  
"I've been meaning to put another hole in it but no, I haven't." The manservant replied.  
"Very funny, dollophead. But seriously, where is it?" Arthur never was amused by such pranks, unless he was the one pulling it of course.  
"I'm telling you, I haven't got it." Merlin assured him. Arthur was about to retort when Gwen entered the room without knocking.  
"Merlin, one of Morgana's bracelets went missing, did you by any chance come across it?" She asked. Both men were taken aback by the maid barging into the room but the question remained. Merlin shook his head and so did Arthur.  
"And I... ehm... I think I've lost my earrings... here." Gwen spoke rather embarressed leaving little to be imagined. But Merlin's mind was somewhere else entirely.  
"Arthur, what if those thieves-" Merlin said.  
"My thoughts exactly." Arthur concurred.  
"What?" Asked Gwen who felt rather left in the dark.  
"You know about the thefts plaguing the lower town?"  
"You think they've moved up?" Gwen caught on.  
"One of my belts went missing." Arthur argued.  
"Merlin, you said Arthur had put-" Gwen began but with the manservant shaking 'no' rather heavily knowing what she was going to say _"put on a bit of weight" _but thankfully changed her mind. "a... a lot of effort into training the knights. I'm sure he'll be caught soon enough." She said and quickly left. Arthur wasn't fooled and slowly turned around to face Merlin, the Prince wasn't amused with him.  
"Really? You just had to tell her, didn't you?" Arthur had caught on to them and knew exactly what Gwen had planned on saying.  
"What are you talking about?" Merlin smiled that sanctimonious smile as he backed away towards the door.  
"Next time you mention something like that to Gwen, that belt might find its way around your neck."  
Merlin ran out the room, pretending to head for the armoury in hopes of avoiding the Prince's wrath. Arthur didn't linger and quickly grabbed a belt before leaving the room as well to hunt down his manservant. At the first intersection, however, he was halted by Sir Leon.  
"Sire, the King wishes a word with you in his chambers." The Knight reported. Arthur found it odd that his father would like a word with him in his chambers, such a thing rarely occurred, it was much more like him to come to his room instead.  
"Thank you, Sir Leon. I'll go see him at once." The Prince turned away from the armoury and made his way to the King's chambers. At the first knock on the door he heard his father's voice telling him to enter.  
"You wished to see my, father?" Arthur asked. Something was wrong, his father looked different for some reason but he couldn't actually tell what it was.  
"Yes." Uther replied, his tone of voice already betraying that something worried him. "You are aware of a ring of thieves preying on the lower town?"  
"I am and, since we're on the subject, I suspect they're in the castle as well." Arthur unconsciously put his hand on his belt, glad he still had one, and he noticed what was wrong with his father, he wasn't wearing his crown.  
"It is rather embarrassing to admit, but they have stolen the crown, _my_ crown." Uther confirmed Arthur's suspicions. "I want whoever stole it hung from the highest tree." The King commanded.  
"Yes, Sire." Arthur replied and went to the armoury where, without a doubt, he would find Merlin.

The armoury by itself had always been a mess but the messiest person the Prince knew had actually been capable of bringing some order in the chaos.  
"Merlin!" Arthur called and the manservant's head popped up from behind a rack of shields.  
"I remember you being quicker on your feet, Sire." Merlin replied, it was obviously meant to annoy and perhaps even anger the Prince but there were more important things going on.  
"The King wants us to hunt down the thieves." Arthur didn't share his knowledge of the crown going missing, he knew Merlin could be a blabbermouth at times.  
"Right," Merlin said as he got up from his chair and put the shield he was polishing back into its rack. "How are we going to do that?"  
"Well, we don't know any thieves. At least, I don't. Have you ever met one when you were in jail or in the stocks?"  
"No, I rather kept to myself actually."  
"In the tavern then?" Arthur tried.  
"Nope." Merlin replied.  
"What _do_ you do all day?" Arthur taunted him.  
"_Annoy._" Merlin countered, earning a chuckle from Arthur.  
"How about a trap?" Merlin suggested.  
"You'd put a priceless artefact on a pedestal and you think they wouldn't smell a rat?" Arthur mocked him not too heavily, it might've been a bad idea but an idea nonetheless.  
"You're right, it's silly." Merlin admitted but Arthur wasn't even paying attention, the wheels inside his head were twisting and turning until something came to mind.  
"On second thought..."

Arthur sent a letter to Lord Godwyn of Gawant requesting the delivery of a chest escorted by a few soldiers. In reality the chest was empty and Merlin started a rumour among the servants - only they could know where Uther kept the crown - that it contained an ancient decorated vase.

The idea of a vase put on a pedestal was ridiculous of course and therefor Merlin said they kept it under lock and key, the exact opposite. Arthur reasoned that the only reason the thieves would steal from the castle was the risk and the challenge, the crown being their greatest achievement so far. But Arthur knew the crown wasn't that much of a challenge and only a bigger challenge would tempt the thieves to come out of hiding. Even if they did manage to steal the vase, the thing was worthless. Since the chest arrived and the vase put into the vault, Merlin and Arthur spent every night waiting for something to happen. The night watch upset Merlin as this consumed the time he usually spent with Morgana, worst of all was that Arthur sometimes snuck out so he could meet with Gwen. Because of the Prince's lack of dedication Merlin played with the idea of stealing the vase himself simply to put Arthur in his place.

This was the third night and it had been half an hour since Arthur left to see Gwen, who felt sorry for her Prince, and now he had finally come back to watch the vault. The cold of being so deep underground and the lack of sleep made Merlin grumpy.  
"Do you _have_ to do that?" The manservant asked, the irritation clear in his voice.  
"Do what?" Arthur asked.  
"Meet with Gwen when we're supposed to be watching the vault."  
"Perhaps when you have a girlfriend I'd let you do the same." Arthur stated. Merlin didn't buy it, Arthur could still be a prat at times and simple tell him to shut up if he'd bring it up.  
"No, you wouldn't, you're too much of a prat to allow it." Merlin countered.  
"What's wrong with you?" Arthur asked since they were obviously getting into a fight.  
"While you're up there cuddling with Gwen, I'm down here freezing my butt off. A 'thank you' wouldn't be misplaced, you know."  
Arthur had done worse things to him in the past and back then he didn't complain. It made him wonder why this had sent him over the edge and whether it was his fault or something else. The Prince was about to ask him when they heard the vault being opened, they had been so focused on bickering that by now the thief was trying to get away with the, in reality worthless, vase. Arthur and Merlin came out of hiding and began chasing the trespasser but coming to the higher levels they lost sight of him and split up.  
"He's over here!" Merlin called as he saw someone carrying a vase run down the corridor and quickened his pace to follow him. All of a sudden the warlock hear Arthur's voice telling him he was there. Wherever 'there' was, it wasn't nearby. The most confusing part however was that other people, people nowhere to be seen, also began shouting 'he' was 'there'. In the end Merlin met Arthur in the middle of a corridor and cursed out loud.  
"A ring of thieves." Arthur sighed defeated.  
"Just our luck." Merlin grumbled.  
A heavy thud could be heard coming from one of the rooms. The two didn't waste time and stormed the room to see a heavily muscled man holding a lanky body, probably a thief, against the wall.  
"Don't kill him!" Arthur commanded though the man didn't look like a guard nor a servant, his clothing was that of an average peasant despite its size.  
"I'm not." The stranger spoke clearly, without anger or emotion, as he put the perpetrator back on his feet but held him still.  
"So you're one of the thieves. That makes what, four, five of you?" Arthur asked.  
"We work alone, I'm here by myself." The thief replied.  
"But there is a 'we'." Merlin stated smugly much to the culprit's dismay.  
"What are you going to do, torture me?" The thief asked trying to be smug and confident, torture was reserved for traitors, not thieves.  
"No, _we _won't. Maybe we didn't even hear anything." Arthur spoke slightly nodding towards the door and the man holding the culprit looked smug. The thief flinched and his face betrayed the panic and conflict he held inside.  
"Where do you gather?" Now it was Arthur's turn to look smug.  
"I work alone." He said stubbornly.  
"We already know you don't. So where do you divide the loot?" Arthur asked cutting through the chase.  
The thief was unwilling to answer but when Arthur gave a nod to the stranger, who lifted him so he had to stand on his toes.  
"All right, fine. We gather in the darkling woods." The thief yielded.  
"Where exactly?" Arthur asked.  
"From the dead oak it's a two minute walk west." The thief reluctantly answered. Arthur took a look at Merlin, who shrugged, and sighed.  
"Seems you'll be showing us the way." Arthur spoke matter-of-factly taking hold him of him by the back of his shirt. The muscle let go of his captive now that he was in the custody of the Prince and took a quick look at Merlin, he know of Arthur but little of the manservant.  
"What's your name?" The Prince asked the stranger.  
"Percival... Your Highness?" Percival asked unsure.  
"Thank you, Percival, this man has a lot to answer for. As for your reward, ask Merlin." Arthur finished on a happy note much to the warlock's dismay, Merlin didn't fear or even dislike the stranger but was merely annoyed with Arthur's assumption he would know what to do.  
"Your Highness." Percival asked his attention and ignoring Merlin in the process. "They stole an heirloom of my family, I would see to it that it be returned."  
"With all due respect, Percival, you're neither guard nor knight and I barely know you." Arthur understood what Percival meant, he wanted to help hunt down the thieves, but the Prince didn't want or need any observers when he had to fulfil his duties. Percival sighed but was content with the Prince's explanation, he thought it understandable to react the way he did and he could not force him to do anything more. For a moment Percival's sigh had Arthur worried, he had seen the man's big hands around the thief's neck, but the nodding in acknowledgement put the Prince at ease. Percival left the room first, not even considering collecting his reward, and Arthur commanded Merlin to gather the knights.

As the Knights came upon the treeline marking the entrance of the darkling woods, Merlin turned to the Prince.  
"Arthur..."  
"Yes, Merlin, I know." Arthur assured him with a crooked smile and held up a fist to order everyone to stop moving.  
"What is it, Sire?" Sir Leon asked, whatever Arthur and Merlin had noticed, it passed him by completely.  
"Just wait for it." Arthur answered.  
Slowly but surely a person came into view and, judging by his posture, Merlin knew they had met before. Whoever was following them didn't mind being discovered as he kept approaching them. Seeing Percival fully some of the knights shared looks of worry, the man's muscle really was something to be both feared and admired.  
"I thought I told you not to follow me." Arthur spoke as he brought his horse closer to Percival's and noticed he was now carrying a sword as well.  
"With all due respect, Your Highness merely stated we were not acquainted." Percival replied.  
Arthur chuckled, mostly because it was true. The man had committed no offense and even if he did, he was bending the rules, not breaking them.  
"Would it have mattered if I had?" Arthur asked. Percival merely shook his head. Arthur took another look at the man, somewhere he reminded him of Lancelot. It was strange only he and Merlin noticed him and none of the knights did, this was reflected by what happened in the castle. With so many servants roaming the castle, Percival still managed to sneak inside unnoticed and even catch one of the thieves. Last but not least, he showed respect when talking to the Prince and although he defied him now, that didn't make him less honourable. In a way Lancelot had done the same.  
"How good are you with that sword of yours?" The Prince asked.  
"I can handle myself." Percival wasn't one for words and being cryptic sometimes helped, he found it could only be measured by showing it. Sir Leon brought his horse forward and boldly suggested for Percival to ride with him at the front of their company. Surprising the senior knight, he accepted.

They reached the dead oak where Percival suddenly dismounted.  
"What are you doing?" Sir Leon demanded to know.  
"Your Highness, when he spoke of where they gathered, he said 'two minute _walk_'. I doubt any of them have horses." Percival replied. The Prince nodded in approval and dismounted as well, his example soon followed by the knights and a very reluctant thief. Their walk west lasted longer than two minutes, it made Arthur a bit unsure whether the thief had told the truth after all and just when he began thinking about hanging the thief, a group of men could be seen sitting in the distance.

The thief wanted to shout but it turned into a squeel when Percival's hand came around his throat, forcing him into silence. Arthur gave the man a surprised frown, somewhere he admired the hunting instinct he was showing. Unfortunately the act was in vain as the group of strangers were on their feet looking for something, swords drawn, and through the bright red colours of Camelot they found it. The knights stood eye to eye with the unknown men. There were twelve of them, outnumbering the knights by one, but they did not engage the knights and instead merely kept their eyes open and their weapons at the ready. Being in a deadlock already, Arthur stepped forward.  
"In the name of the King, I demand to know who you are." The Prince spoke with great confidence though one of the foes, a rather lanky man, still managed to let out a giggle.  
"Lycoth got himself caught." He laughed.  
"Oh, shut it Karl." Lycoth, the captured thief, replied.  
"I asked you a question!" Arthur demanded now annoyed for being ignored.  
"We're alone." Karl mocked him.  
"Regardless, you must pay for your crimes." Sir Leon now stepped in.  
Karl whistled and out from a few trees behind them came another five men armed with axes.  
"Justice comes in numbers." Karl replied as it was now 16 bandits against 11 knights, not counting Merlin or the still captive Lycoth. Arthur was conflicted, he didn't want to fight but now it seemed he had no other choice. It came as a surprise when a body was flung into the bandits and knocked down three of them, starting the battle.

Arthur glanced at the bandits trying to get up, amongst them was Lycoth and taking another look at Percival, it was clear enough he had thrown him and it seemed he was a good swordsmen as well. Merlin found himself taken aback by the sudden violence but caught on soon enough so he wouldn't get killed. The warlock's heart was pounding but he found himself almost bored as the knights knew their weapons far better than the bandits knew theirs and the battle was over rather soon. Half the bandits were killed, half of the remainder wounded and the rest unconscious.

Percival walked over to the tree 'round which they sat when they first saw them. The loot wasn't laid out very carefully but the Man could make out his mother's ring, the family heirloom. Another piece he made out was a crown, the King's crown, which he also took up and held out to the Prince.  
"You've got what you came for?" Arthur asked as he accepted the crown.  
"Yes, Your Highness, as do you." He replied  
"I saw you fight, you fight well. It's a shame my father only allows nobility to become knights, you would've made a fine knight." Arthur complimented him.  
"Thank you, Sire."  
The Prince accepted that Percival was a man of little words and left it at that. Merlin also took a look at the stolen goods and recognized both Morgana's bracelet and Gwen's earrings, the latter he handed to Arthur. Sir Leon, as Arthur's most trusted knight, was tasked with seeing to it that the rest of the stolen goods would be returned to their rightful owners.

Percival returned to Camelot with the knights and the eight remaining bandits. After that Percival departed without goodbyes but Merlin was quite sure they would meet again, with the change of times.  
Merlin was glad to be back in Camelot, or rather the castle. There was someone who would be _very_ glad to see him. He knocked on her door and answered at her call.  
"Merlin." Morgana greeted him with a smile.  
"I believe this is yours." Merlin smiled holding up her bracelet.  
"Thank you." She spoke rather out of character compared to her usual cheerful self.  
_"No 'Thank you'? No kiss, not even a hug?"_ Merlin thought.  
"What did I do wrong?" He asked.  
"You left." She said accusingly.  
"What do you mean I left? I'm back, aren't I?"  
"You left without a word, I had to hear from Gwen you were 'thief hunting' with Arthur."  
"So every time I leave Camelot, be it getting herbs for Gaius, I have to tell you?"  
"No, I didn't mean it like _that_. It's just... whenever you leave Camelot with Arthur you always get into trouble, like the thieves joining up with bandits."  
She had a point there. Merlin didn't usually mind being proven wrong but now he had to apologize for it. Were it Arthur he would've just kept shut but this was Morgana. He knew she wasn't made of glass and that was exactly the problem, she might want in on the action and put her life on the line as well. Still, it was important to the woman he loved and which meant he would have to compromise.  
"You're right, I shouldn't worry you like that." Merlin admitted.  
"Just tell me in future, alright?"  
"I will." The warlock assured her.  
"So, how did you find those bandits and who was the muscle?" Morgana asked.  
As usual they talked for the rest of the evening until Gwen came back from her evening with Arthur. Later that night, when Merlin laid in his bed so far beneath that of his Lady, he couldn't help but wonder what adventures the future would bring.

* * *

**AN:**

I'm experimenting with a story/episode intro's so I'd like your opinion of that.  
Did you like the Man secretly being Percival? I once read a book of which the protagonist is only known as 'the Man'.  
I admit this introduction might be a bit long but I absolutely wanted to nail this one properly.  
Percival deserves a good introduction and I think it absolutely ridiculous the show hasn't spent an episode on it when the rest of the knights have.

I always pictured Percival as a big, friendly and even honourable giant who you simply shouldn't cross.


	3. The Haunting

**The Haunting**

No one ever set foot in the farm. There were whispers of black magic haunting but it didn't stop young Kathryn from exploring beyond the fences of her sheltered home. It was only last night that a scream had come from the old barn and it had shook up the entire village. Kathryn though the village was boring, so boring in fact that not even as a child did she fear the monsters beneath the bed. She took a quick look behind her to see whether or not someone was watching her and slowly opened the creaking door of the barn. Her parents had forbidden her to go but it had only sparked her curiosity. The thrill of knowing you might get caught, the thrill of exploring the unknown, it was in her blood. It bothered her that her boyfriend was such a coward. He wasn't much of a boyfriend, they were betrothed but not out of choice. Sure, he was a nice guy and reasonably handsome but he was an absolute idiot and, as she had just found out, a coward too. Sixteen she was, they could've been married already but she'd managed to postpone it a couple of times. _"Kath, this really isn't the time."_ She reminded herself as she closed the creaky old door behind her.

Hopefully no one had seen her come in, if someone were to tell her parents then they'd never let her 'run loose' again. But there wasn't any harm in looking at midday, the screams only came at night. The only scary thing that remained was that she knew the previous residents of the farm and was a good friend of theirs. One harsh winter and nothing was ever the same again. The noise of the old wheat beneath her feet pulled her from her thoughts and look around the farm. It was difficult to imagine they had played hide and seek in this barn.

There was a chill in the air only it wasn't a draft, it was all around her. Then there were whispers, soft and indistinguishable as if they were from the same person. A shiver went down her spine, she should never have come here, she should've just listened to her parents and stayed at home. She was heading back to where she had entered and looked back one last time... screaming.

**Camelot**

News of a girl going missing in the village of Dunwood reached Camelot. Reports of a murdering spirit had reached them long before but after a patrol had checked the supposedly haunted house, there was nothing there and discarded as a story to frighten the young. But the disappearance was new and, in Arthur's opinion, could not be ignored. The Prince spoke with Sir Leon on the matter before speaking with his father.

"You want to investigate a haunting?" The King was still left in slight disbelief. Surely his war on magic hadn't made his son a believer of superstitious nonsense, had it?  
"We received new reports and personally I find it rather disturbing."  
"It's an old wives tale, nothing more." Uther tried to talk his son out of that rubbish.  
"But a girl went missing, surely that cannot be denied." Arthur argued.  
Uther sighed. "You're right, it can't." He hated to admit it but his son might be right, something could be going on. "But you will conduct your investigation without the knights, they have more important duties than finding someone who might just be a runaway."  
"I understand, father." Arthur bowed and left his father in the throne room to join Merlin who he had left outside.  
"And?" Merlin asked with a bit too enthusiastically considering. Not that he was to blame. The manservant liked getting away from Camelot for a few days, even if that meant being away from Morgana. It wouldn't be a problem as long as it didn't become a lengthy investigation. The upside to it all was going to a village, the green pastures, the endless horizon and the light of dawn peeking in from behind the trees. It would be a welcome change in scenery from Camelot's white stone walls.  
"Get the horses." Arthur commanded him. Despite his eagerness to leave, Merlin couldn't leave immediately.  
"Just give me a moment, I need to pay Morgana a visit before we leave." He said, remembering he had told Morgana he wouldn't worry her and tell her whenever Arthur and he would leave Camelot to run into trouble.  
"Whatever for?" The Prince asked incredulous.  
"Her sleeping draft, Gaius might forget." The manservant answered as he ran off. He probably wouldn't be able to use that excuse again but it did for now. After picking up the sleeping draft, which Gaius might actually forget, Merlin went to the Lady's chambers and knocked before entering.

"Merlin." She spoke upbeat. Ever since they were together hardly a day went without him giving her one of his big, goofy and infectious smiles. The evenings were still the highlights of her days and even more so once Merlin got better at kissing her. The kisses hadn't remained on lips but wandered onto cheeks, jaw and earlobes. Merlin noticed that Morgana and he were not alone in the room, Gwen was tending to the Lady's wardrobe.  
"Milady, Arthur and I might be gone for a couple of days." Merlin spoke, the formalities in place not so much for Gwen but for Arthur or another servant that might enter the room. But Morgana didn't really pay attention to it, she merely enjoyed the fact Merlin had kept his word and informed her of their plans.  
"I heard, something about a haunting?" She asked.  
"They say there's a spirit killing people and now a girl has gone missing." Merlin explained and a pained expression came over Morgana's face. In the past, most investigations were aimed towards the _what_ or _how_ but rarely dit the subject of death come forward. And it worried her.  
"Stay safe, alright?" She whispered out of earshot for Gwen. Before she uttered those words Merlin had doubted whether or not he should tell her. Now that doubt was gone. Her words were full of love and care unlike others'. Gaius had always cared but either they sounded monotone, the words being spoken too regularly, or they sounded more like a warning.  
"Of course." He whispered back. Then he handed her the sleeping draft and carried on keeping up appearances. It was a shame things had to be like this but if it meant being close to Morgana, he would endure.

Dunswood was a village not quite like Ealdor. There was something of a village square which adjoined several homes and the tavern. There were three large farms on the outskirts and of the size Merlin had never seen before, but only one of them had livestock.  
"I hate the smell of cattle." Arthur commented as they came upon the village.  
"But you prefer killing them." Merlin joked referring to the Prince's favourite pastime.  
"It must remind you of home." Arthur reminisced.  
"No, it reminds me of Ealdor." Merlin replied. Arthur was dumbstruck by this as it didn't make much sense.  
"Camelot _is_ my home, Arthur." The manservant explained. Arthur smiled because somewhere hidden beneath all the pratness, he was touched. Not that he'd let on, a smile was the most he'd give his servant.

The two turned their eyes back to the path before them and towards the village square. Everyone they passed set their eyes upon them. Arthur prodded Merlin with his elbow, the Prince found the people's reaction rather unnerving. Merlin had to tell His Royal Pratness that the village probably didn't receive many travellers, not even passing through, so their arrival was an event already. To calm Arthur down, Merlin suggested they first visit the tavern.

The tavern was easily found, marked by the village drunkard sitting against one of its walls. Arthur let Merlin take care of the horses while he went inside and rent a room for the night. From the stables behind the tavern, or rather what was left of it, Merlin could see the three farms surrounding the village. He could also see that one of the farms was in decay, probably abandoned some years ago. Entering the tavern he saw Arthur sitting by a table close to the extinguished fireplace and sat down opposite of him.  
"I don't see how you do it." Arthur stated and, when Merlin looked at curiously, he clarified "Spending all day in the tavern? Really, I can't help but find this place rather dull."  
"Well, this isn't Camelot." Merlin had played with the idea of revealing he didn't spend _that_ much time in the tavern but then he'd have to think up something else to go in its place.  
"Any ideas on how we're going to find that missing girl?" Arthur asked but then the strangest things happened. The barmaid - there was only one - shouted at them.  
"She never really went missing!"  
Arthur gave Merlin a funny look, with all his etiquette the Prince hadn't the faintest idea of how people behaved in situations like this. He was well aware of shouting in taverns but when one is a tavern as empty as this, did one shout back? Merlin answered it for him. The manservant got up and walked over to the maid, eliminating the reason to shout.  
"What do you mean?" He asked.  
"She went missing for 'bout a day, we just couldn't find her when the spirit screamed." The maid explained.  
"What was her name?" Arthur, who overheard the conversation, shouted. The maid gave the man an unimpressed raised eyebrow which answered his previous, unvoiced, question.  
"How is she?" Merlin asked, completely ignoring the Prince.  
"_Kathryn_ is fine. She said she saw the spirit at the old farm and fainted." She said but with a tone of voice that implied she found it a bit petty.  
"Is that _really_ what happened?" Merlin asked slyly. The maid looked around and moved a bit closer to the warlock.  
"I think she wanted to run away. Her betrothed is a complete idiot." The maid gossiped. Merlin smiled, not because of the gossip, but because of the way he found out. The same trick worked in Ealdor. You simply pretended you already knew the secret. Merlin smiled and nodded before sitting back down at Arthur's table.  
"What did she say?"  
"Kathryn might just have wanted to run away." Merlin hated to admit as it meant proving Uther right.  
"Well, I'm not riding back to Camelot just yet." Arthur said as he began to slouch in his chair.  
"We could visit the old, haunted farm. Might make for a good story... for Gwen." Merlin stated. Arthur sat upright, now there was an idea he liked. He wasn't one much for stories but this had a good ring to it. Merlin brought it up so he might as well help make up a story. So when they would come back, they wouldn't just get an 'oh' in disappointment but an 'oooohh' from the chill of the story.  
"We'll do that tonight then." The Prince caved. The rest of the afternoon was spent talking, a rare occurrence but they didn't really have anything else to kill the time with.

That night they went to the abandoned farm merely for curiosity's sake. Entering the room Merlin immediately felt sick. It wasn't that the room had been torn apart, he wished it was, it was that it seemed like the inhabitants never actually left. The plates were still on the table though whatever had been on it had long since been claimed by fungus. The floorboards creaked but, unlike the chairs, they held.

Arthur began poking around the belongings while Merlin only looked and something caught his eye.  
"A book." Merlin held it up in victory.  
"So what, Merlin?" Arthur complained.  
"It's the only book here _and_... it's a diary." Merlin made it sound like a big deal, and it was considering few people could write.  
"No one's lived here for years." Arthur tried to refute.  
"Doesn't mean it's not important." Merlin said as he opened it and began reading.  
"Then stuff it in your bag, I need your eyes for more important things." The Prince just kept on complaining and Merlin read aloud.  
"_It's been six years since I last saw daddy. Mummy said we're better off without him but for the third year in a row, master Donald is threatening to take the farm._"  
"Merlin, do we _have_ to do this now?" Arthur was getting to the edge of his patience.  
"Fine." The manservant answered annoyed as he put the diary in his bag. Merlin felt something was off but when nothing interesting could be found, their 'investigation' was over.

They went back to the local tavern where they would stay for the night. They sat at the table closest to the fireplace and talked a bit over the comfort of a jug of ale. Arthur couldn't refrain from snarky remarks such as _"So this is what you do all day"_ before he turned in for an early night, leaving Merlin in the taproom. Merlin took out the girl's diary from his satchel, convinced the answer might be in there. The story was becoming a tale of suffering, the girl couldn't feel her toes anymore and wrote all about how it felt, how it hurt. It was saddening to read about a little girl's fear of death as such thoughts should never be on the mind of one so young. Hearing the screeching from a chair being pulled he looked up to find a woman sitting down before him. She had long brown hair but wasn't very tall or short, she was rather average and he estimated her to be in her late teens.  
"Hi." She said rather nervously clinging on to the jug of ale in her hands.  
"Hi." He returned not knowing what to think of her.  
"You're here with-"  
"Arthur, yes. I'm his servant." Merlin filled in the blanks.  
"Servant? The Prince drinks with his manservant?" She was a clever girl. They hadn't mentioned 'Prince' in their conversations though 'Pendragon' and 'Royal Prat' were.  
"How..." Merlin wondered and now it was her turn to fill in the blanks.  
"I've been to Camelot some years ago, he hasn't changed much since then."  
"You don't think of him very highly, do you?" Merlin smiled. The girl looked down at that, the manservant knew the Prince well enough to have a drink with him and she had almost insulted him.  
"Your secret is safe with me." Merlin grinned.  
"I'm Kathryn, or Kath." The girl finally introduced herself properly  
"Merlin. Aren't you the girl the spirit 'took'?"  
"I sort of fainted." She admitted somewhat ashamed.  
"But you saw it, didn't you?" Merlin asked, he felt something strange at the haunted farm and he was convinced there was something more to it.  
"Not that anyone believes me."  
"You don't have to, but can you tell me what you saw?" Merlin asked.  
"It... it looked a person only it wasn't. It was a woman but her face was... wrong. Like skin on bones, nothing in-between."  
"What about her eyes?" The manservant kept asking.  
"Completely Blank."  
"Black?"  
"No, white."  
Merlin pulled out another book from his satchel, a bestiary, and began flipping through the pages.  
"You're taking me seriously?" Kathryn asked amazed.  
Merlin turned the book around to show the Wraith like they had encountered before.  
"That..." Kathryn mumbled nervously.  
"Is it, isn't it? Only the eyes are wrong." Merlin finished her sentence as he turned the book back to himself and now flipped through the pages more carefully, actually looking for something old and something new.  
"She looks like someone I used to know." Kathryn mumbled.  
"Who?"  
"There was a woman who lived there with her daughter. The spirit looks like the mother. I used to be friends with the girl but she died in the winter and a year later so did her mother."  
"How long ago did this happen?"  
"The mother died six years, the girl seven."  
"And when did the ghost first scream?"  
"About a year ago, so it can't be her, it wouldn't make sense" Kathryn knew what he was thinking.

A high-pitched scream filled the air and Merlin was sure _that_ was the spirit. He went to the corridor adjacent to the rooms and called the Prince loudly who shouted back in reply. Merlin quickly stuffed the book and the diary into his satchel and followed Arthur who just paced through the taproom.

Arthur saw light burning within the haunted farm and barged in without a second thought, followed by Merlin. There they stood, eye to eye with the wicked spirit. The head was rotting, skin sagging out of place but its most prominent features still shown by the bone underneath. Her hair had decayed and seemed more like strings of rope. Kathryn was right about the eyes, the Wraith had none but the spirit still had them and they were completely white, not even the iris was showing.

The spirit seemed wary of the stranger but the Prince lost his patience and took a swing at it. The spirit opened its mouth, seemingly dislocating it to make it that big, and a savage scream blew them back. Merlin was blown against the wall while Arthur was sent through what little was left of the door.

Merlin took a quick look at Arthur who was lying on his back. The warlock made haste to check if he was alright, he was merely unconscious, and went back inside.  
"Who are you?" Merlin asked. The Spirit cocked its head, seemingly interested in what the sorcerer had to say.  
"You were somebody and you died, why are you still here?" Merlin reasoned that was what had happened, spirits were people who weren't at peace and the key could be the reason why.  
_"Justice."_ Its voice was hushed but loud and echoing all around the place. But then it seemed to fall on its back only it fell through the floor. Merlin turned his back to where the Spirit had stood and moved towards Arthur who was being helped back on his feet by Kathryn.  
"Merlin, what the hell was that?" Arthur asked.  
"I might've found out if you weren't so eager to swing your sword at it." Merlin said rather annoyed.  
"It's hostile, we have to get these people to safety, to Camelot. Round up the villagers, Merlin." The prat commanded.  
"One moment." Merlin spoke up.  
"Sorry?" Arthur asked incredulous.  
"The spirit screamed, so who died?" Merlin stated. Arthur looked down at that, slightly ashamed he hadn't thought of that.  
"I'll ask around." Kathryn told Merlin and not Arthur who, being ignored, felt slightly hurt in his pride.  
"We'd best get our things from the tavern." Merlin told Arthur who could only agree with him. After doing the little packing necessary, Merlin ordered ale and sat down at one of the tables. Arthur sat down before his manservant, empty handed, and had half a though of giving the man a piece of his mind.  
"Someone's dead and you're drinking ale." Arthur stated, to him it felt like Merlin was being insensitive like he himself had been not long before.  
"You want to speak to the villagers." Merlin stated, he understood that the Prince would want to guide them to safety as soon as possible but there was something bound to stop him.  
Merlin just had to make the Prince see it as well. "Arthur, someone died. If we tell them to follow us to Camelot right now, half their minds are with the deceased. Besides, I'm waiting for Kathryn to tell me who died so I can perform an examination." The physician's apprentice explained.  
"You, perform an examination?" Arthur asked, questioning his experience as a physician's apprentice.  
"You shouldn't be surprised seeing as you provide most of the bodies." Merlin joked. Arthur's chuckle was interrupted by the door opening and Kathryn entered the room. Merlin could see she'd been crying and got up to meet her halfway.  
"I'm sorry." He gave her his condolences.  
"It's alright." She tried to brush it off and beckoned him to follow her. Arthur followed her as well but kept his distance. He and Gwen might not have been together for very long but already the Prince knew it was best to avoid a woman's wrath.  
"Who was it?" Merlin asked softly.  
"My betrothed." She replied.  
He didn't know what to say, was there anything to be said at all?  
"He wasn't bright or courageous but he was kind, caring and gentle. I might not have loved him but he didn't deserve this." Kathryn almost sobbed. After that none of them talked until they came upon the home of the deceased.  
Kathryn turned to the Prince, finally she had something she had to say to him. "What are you going to ask them?"  
Arthur shook his head, she wasn't quite aware of their plan.  
"Merlin is the apprentice of the court physician, he is to examine the body."  
Kathryn flinched and Merlin immediately jumped at what might be implied.  
"I don't need to cut him." He explained. The girl nodded and went inside with him. The family was brought outside and Arthur did what he did best, being a prat.  
"I'm Prince Arthur Pendragon." He declared which made quite a few heads turn around. He went on about how Dunwood was no longer safe and they should prepare to leave for Camelot.

During this time, Merlin was examining the body. The victim was an ordinary man and the only extraordinary thing could be attributed to his death. The white of his eyes had gone yellow and bloodshot. Already Merlin was doubting the spirit had done it because what he saw implied poison.  
"Were the other victims like him?" Merlin #had caught himself from saying 'the body'. Kathryn knew the boy, he was her betrothed.  
"Y... yes." She managed to utter out. Merlin moved away from the body and put a comforting hand on her back as they went back outside.  
"And?" Arthur asked. The people had listened and packed whatever they needed, they were told to travel lightly.  
"I'm done. Kathryn, you should pack. It isn't safe here, we're bringing you to Camelot." Merlin more or less rambled. He didn't want to report his findings in her presence. Thankfully Kathryn listened like the villagers did but not without looking back over her shoulder.  
"What did you find?" Arthur asked straight to the point.  
"His eyes were yellow and bloodshot. I'd say he was poisoned." Merlin reported.  
"You're not suggesting one of the villagers did it, are you?"  
"It's either that or the spirit tainted something they eat or drink, like the Afanc did."  
Arthur nodded, it sounded plausible but that didn't mean he had to like it. The journey back to Camelot was uneventful. They travelled slowly as few of them had horses and they were used to plowing fields, not having people on their backs. Merlin and Arthur rode at the rear while a former guard rode at the front. Arthur kept an eye out for trouble while Merlin had his nose in the books, the girl's diary.

Her tale was growing darker and darker. One of the people said she was cold to the bone, not emotionally but as a diagnosis. She wrote about her tummy aching and not understanding why mummy was crying, she said everything would be alright and the sun would warm her face soon enough. To the girl that made even less sense, winter was far from over. Merlin flipped the page with a horrid feeling he could barely stomach. Her entire foot had gone numb and writing hurt her fingers. As if the words themselves weren't bad enough, Merlin could tell by the handwriting when the pain was at its worst. But then, on the next page, the handwriting had changed completely, someone else was writing.

_Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. How she cried nearing the end. I just wish I had known what was to come, the things I should've told her. But it was peaceful, at least I can draw strength from that. Asleep one day and then the endless sleep came the next. I don't know what I'll do without her, I'll lose the farm but I'm not going to give up._

Merlin recognized the words as those of the mother. She kept writing after the girl passed away. The warlock tucked away the book as the emotions of the mother seemed to start reflect his own. Arthur was looking at him but whatever the Prince was thinking, he wasn't sharing it with him. With Camelot in sight, Arthur moved to the front of the group and after a short talk with the former guard, the Prince rode ahead of them to make preparations. Arthur was lucky that the night watch were more competent than those during the day, as they should be since Cornelius Sigan. The refugee camp was set up outside the city walls and consisted of tents usually used to accommodate knights participating in tournament. It took surprisingly little time to get everyone settled but the refugees themselves helped.

Arthur and Merlin parted ways in the castle courtyard and Merlin was glad he could rest on his own bed. Merlin went to bed quietly as not to disturb Gaius. Only he couldn't sleep, the damned diary kept him awake. He lit a candle with his magic and took the diary from his satchel.

Merlin read page after page and felt sorry for the woman. She was growing more and more desperate and she began blaming people for everything. Her thoughts, written thoughts, were becoming more and more frantic. It saddened him and he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. But there was a truth behind her seemingly incoherent ravings. There was a word that kept coming forward, _murder_. She was absolutely convinced someone had killed her little girl. Turning the page he found the next one missing.

Merlin's thoughts went blank. Only one person would tear out a page, especially so close to the end. Her murderer. Seeing as it was the end of the book, Merlin had no choice but to go to sleep and talk to Arthur in the morning. Yet again, sleep would not come to him. Mother and daughter had been killed and the injustice done claimed his mind. He had to tell someone. An idea came to him and it was a little bit crazy but if anyone would understand...

He didn't know if his soft knocking would be answered but when the door finally opened _he_ was surprised to be pulled into the room.  
"Why are you here at such a late hour?" Morgana asked now that they could speak freely. The manservant was a bit preoccupied by her nightgown which made her look rather angelic.  
"I couldn't sleep." Merlin's answer would've left much to be imagined if his voice hadn't sounded so sad.  
"What's wrong?" She asked. Merlin laid the girl's diary on the table and sat down with a sigh.  
"In the house the spirit was haunting lived a little girl and this was her diary." He stated.  
"What happened to her?" She asked as she too sat down and opened the book, that had to be the reason he brought it.  
"She died. First they blamed it on a strong winter but later her mother was convinced she was murdered. She too died."  
"That's so sad, did she find out who did it?" Morgana asked and it was exactly what he was after. He turned the diary to the missing page and answered.  
"I think she did and the murderer tore out the incriminating page. I read the whole thing and now it's keeping me up."  
"I can relate." She said with a slight smile.  
"That's why I'm here." He returned the gesture.  
"How long ago did this happen?"  
"At least six years." He answered casually.  
Morgana brows furrowed as she moved her hand across the blank page.  
"What is it?" Merlin asked.  
"This paper is rather bright considering it's six years old, it's almost like I can feel the quill's pressure." She mused. Merlin also moved his hand across the paper. She was right, it hadn't aged, not even water had tainted it. The few pieces of the puzzle that came together brought forth an idea and Merlin mentally slapped himself for being so stupid. It was obvious, how could he have missed it?  
"That's it!" He exclaimed as rotated the book towards him and began chanting.  
_"Edhwierft se cwideas sméaung ond manede, áwréon hwæs éastríce beneoðan."_  
[Return the words lost and forgotten, reveal what lies beneath]  
The black of ink seemed to surface to make words and symbols of the Old Religion. Magic had touched the book before and like any enchanted object, it preserved it. Merlin grinned and abruptly gave Morgana a quick but passionate kiss.  
"Whatever would I do without you?" His compliment made her blush a bit. He was a powerful sorcerer and yet he valued her more than anything in the world, she merely gave a remark but apparently that had been the spark he needed.  
"What does it say." Morgana asked curiously. Merlin could translate part of it himself but many nouns eluded him still.  
"Don't know, but I intend on finding out." He smiled as he closed the book.

"Kilgharrah." Merlin called, his voice resonating throughout the caverns. The beast of ancient times landed on his usual rock with his head held high.  
"Merlin, it's been a while since we've last spoken."  
"I need-"  
"No." Kilgharrah interrupted him.  
"What?" Merlin asked confused.  
"You've changed destiny, young warlock, things are no longer as they should be." Kilgharrah scolded him.  
"Morgana and I are in love, things have changed for the better." Merlin knew that was what the dragon meant but it was not his place to tell him what to do and it angered him that he tried to. He knew he needed the dragon's help but that didn't give him the right to tell him what to do.  
"Or the worse, you do not know." The great dragon argued.  
"Then tell me what has changed!" Merlin shouted, no longer would he follow the dragon out of good faith, that time should've passed long ago.  
"I cannot." The dragon almost whispered and there were traces of sadness in his voice.  
"What? Why not?"  
"I..." The dragon hesitated, he had never done that before. Merlin had never seen him worried, actually worried about something. Kilgharrah didn't want to tell, to him it was downright humiliating.  
"Ever since the Purge began, we knew it would take someone special to bring magic back. Some of us dragons could see destinies, but the future is like a tree with many branches."  
"Then why give me a destiny fighting the woman I love?" Merlin argued.  
"Because it was the only one we could find that would ensure the wellbeing of Albion." Kilgharrah finally explained.  
"You've never seen into the future, you merely recited parts of the prophecy." Merlin realised the dragon had been playing him all this time. He felt hurt, insulted and betrayed. He wanted to shout at him, to hurt him, to show his anger but there were more important things at stake.  
"Fine, to hell with it. I need you tell me what is written here." He said as he opened the diary and showed the imprinted page.  
"From light and darkness, vigilant from the grave. For my life no vengeance but lives saved." Kilgharrah translated but more out of guilt than anything else.  
"It's not a vengeful spirit," Merlin realised. There were many kinds of spirits and he though this one vengeful only to now realise it wasn't. "it's a banshee."  
He was going to tell Arthur in the morning but as he stood upon the courtyard, he heard the distinct scream of the banshee. It was in Camelot.

Merlin made a run for the refugee camp just outside the city walls, the spirit was bound to be at there. As Merlin made his way through the gates he found several guards on the floor and another was flung at his head. The idiot guards were trying to kill something that was already dead.  
"Stop!" Merlin told the last guard still standing. Oddly enough, the spirit once again seemed interested in what the warlock had to say. But it wasn't just him, it was also the person that stood beside the manservant, Arthur. The Prince had hastily put on chainmail and had his sword at the ready.  
"Don't." Merlin told Arthur.  
"What?" Arthur barked.  
"The spirit isn't the one killing people." Merlin explained.  
"Her screams kill people!" The Prince tried to refute.  
"But you're not dead and neither are the guards." Merlin reasoned. Arthur nodded slightly, his manservant spoke truth but he wasn't finished yet.  
"The banshee is the mother who wrote the diary and she was murdered. Every time her murderer strikes, she wails."  
"So instead of looking for a spirit, we should be looking for a murderer." Arthur concluded and the banshee faded into nothingness bearing a wicked and unnerving smile. Now the guards also dared to get back on their feet and looked at the Prince for orders.  
"Round up the refugees." He told them. It didn't take very long for the guards to round up the fifty refugees.  
"Arthur," Merlin pulled him to the side. "Whoever was poisoning the people must've brought ingredients with him."  
Arthur smiled because that made things a lot easier. The Prince plucked Kathryn from the crowd so she would make sure everyone was accounted for while Merlin searched the tents for the ingredients, as physician's apprentice he'd recognize them best. The one person not accounted for, the dead, was the maid from the tavern.

Merlin found the tools necessary for potion brewing in the smallest tent which, according to Kathryn, belonged to the village drunkard, Donald. The manservant sighed and shook his head as he opened the diary once more. _Master Donald_, he used to be the landlord. Arthur looked at the man who had become an absolute disgrace with his torn clothes.  
"Why?" Kathryn asked him and he looked at her rather unimpressed.  
"They knew... something, I could see it in their eyes. They found me disgusting while it was they themselves who were disgusting. They knew and they didn't tell." Donald more or less explained.  
"Knew what?" Arthur asked.  
"About everything! They knew something about everything!" He shouted. Arthur thought him mad already.  
"I will be executed, won't I?" Donald asked. The Prince nodded with some reluctance. The man used to be a landlord and he had lost everything, even his sanity, now his life would follow. But Donald was the waiting type, he jumped at Arthur who instinctively held up his sword in defence, effectively piercing and thus killing Donald. As he fell to the floor, a woman's voice could be heard singing. The light of the banshee appeared but she herself did not reappear with the horrid face they had seen her with before. They saw her as she used to be, like a living person. Her song reminded them of Lady Helen only they doubted it would end like that. She kept moving closer to Merlin and came to a stop before him, holding out her hands. Merlin nodded and handed her daughter's diary over to her. The banshee stopped singing and smiled before fading into nothingness, taking the diary with her.

The refugees would return home the next day but would first bury the dead. Kathryn thanked Merlin and the Prince on behalf of the village after which the Arthur and he went back to the castle. For the rest of the night, the knights were kept occupied with putting the people at ease. The banshee's scream had woken most of the city.

Merlin entered the physician's chambers with the intent of going to bed but found Gaius sitting by a table trying to comfort Morgana, still in her nightgown. The sound of the door being opened had made their heads turn and immediately Morgana ran up to him and flung her arms around him. Gaius put a comforting hand on his shoulder as he walked past them and left the room.

Morgana moved back a bit so she could look at his face but let her hand linger on his face.  
"Is it over?" She asked almost afraid.  
"It is, she's at peace." He smiled.  
"She?" Morgana inquired.  
"The girl's mother made herself a banshee."  
"Does Arthur know even half the things you do for him?" Morgana smiled, glad things had come to a happy end.  
"Not the faintest idea." He replied.  
"But why do you always let him take credit for it?"  
"I'm a sorcerer, I shouldn't attract attention."  
"Then I guess _I _will have to reward you instead." She replied sweetly.

**AN:**

Did you think I was going to burn the diary? That would've been far too easy.  
I like the favs and alerts I'm getting but I write faster when I get a lot of reviews.[/hint]  
This chapter turned out to be much longer than I had anticipated (I thought 4000 words at most, over 6000 now).  
Following chapters will be shorter... I hope.

Trivia:  
This chapter was heavily influenced by _Doctor Who: The Curse of the Black Spot_.


	4. Nightmare of the Father

**Nightmares of the Father**

The streets of Camelot were incredibly crowded. Merchants did their thing as the children played hide and seek. There were no special celebrations, merely an archery contest was arranged but almost anyone could enter, the exceptions were those from the royal army. People came from all over Camelot and some even from beyond the borders, the latter were watched closely. The Prince didn't enter. Although he was a good hunter, he used a crossbow and not a regular bow, he wasn't good enough with that. Morgana gave it a go as well but deemed herself not proficient enough. The contest was being held outside the city gates and Merlin and Arthur looked down upon it.  
"Quite a turnout." Merlin noted.  
"Most of them are just farmboys." Arthur replied unimpressed.  
"Because they might actually win, unlike in the arena where they would just get bludgeoned to oblivion."  
Arthur let out a laugh and sighed _Good times_ which made Merlin roll his eyes.

Back at the castle, the King's ward was staring out the window.  
"How are things with you and Arthur?" She asked her maid. Gwen shrugged and sighed. It had been a while since they last talked about it, the Lady had mainly used her to make excuses for Merlin to visit her.  
"I love Arthur, I really do, but sometimes things seem so..."  
"Far away?" Morgana suggested. Gwen nodded. Of course Morgana would understand, she and Merlin were having the same sort of problem though Gwen didn't even know the half of it.  
"I wish I knew when he would fullfill the promises he's made."  
"Marriage?" Morgana asked and Gwen nodded again, Arthur had promised to marry her should the possibility arise.  
"What about you and Merlin?" Gwen asked wondering which who was the one making the promises.  
"He's shy." Morgana almost giggled. "But he doesn't just care for me, he trusts me."  
"I think Arthur trusts me but I'm not sure. What told you Merlin trusts you?"  
"Something was bothering him a couple of weeks ago and he came to my room in the middle of the night. He told me what was wrong and he told me." Morgana didn't elaborate but it should be suffice for Gwen. The maid felt like the love between her and Arthur was childish compared to that between Merlin and Morgana. The two seemed so much more at ease with far less worries and, like Morgana said, Merlin trusted her with his worries whereas Arthur didn't seem to confide in her .  
"I think Arthur's been testing me." Gwen stated.  
"What's he done this time?" Morgana asked annoyed with Arthur. The Prince, a man who was practically her brother, could be such an incredible child at times, or a _prat_ as Merlin liked to call him.  
"Not like that. Sometimes he asks me things, like what Camelot's position would be when two allies are at war, difficult things and I don't know whether I'm giving him the right answers." Gwen couldn't help but feel desperate. Answering his questions and not knowing whether or not it was right was driving her mad, making her feel lost.  
"He's trying to find out if you'd make a good queen." Morgana smiled. "And if you want to know if you've made the right decisions you should just ask him."  
Gwen nodded, she hadn't really considered that an option but surely there wouldn't be any harm in asking.  
"Merlin didn't mention anything about it?" Gwen asked. She knew Arthur trusted him, even with his petty worries considering her, and seeing as Merlin was close to Morgana, she might know.  
"Nothing but I think that's a good thing." Morgana finally managed to reassure her.

The tournament was progressing at a steady pace. Only one of the knights had come out to watch the games, Sir Bertrand, who was known for his great sense of duty but was now merely a spectator. All competitors still in the game at dusk would proceed to the finals which would be attended by the court of Camelot. Merlin was at Arthur's side though he doubted the Prince would have much need of him, he though the Prince would try to pass the time with Gwen but perhaps his father had given him instructions or noticed something going on between him and the maid.  
"Sir Bertrand!" Arthur called the knight over. Merlin and Sir Bertrand got along but that was the end of it. The knight was a man who took everything seriously and was rarely in for a joke, not that it didn't make him a good man, he was, only he wasn't the kind of person Merlin would be friends with.  
"You're an archery enthusiast. Has anyone here caught your eye yet?" Arthur asked.  
The knight smiled and replied. "Two actually, Sire, but they'd have caught my eye regardless."  
The Prince smiled but his brows furrowed in confusion as he motioned the knight to lead on. Bertrand's words proved to be true, the archer was not only skilled but also a woman and quite pretty at that. She had long blonde, braided hair and wore a green, cotton corset. She had a surprising amount of muscle but not too daunting.  
"I can see what you mean." Arthur commented.  
"And then there is the other over there." Sir Bertrand pointed to a woman in the distance. She too was blond but her hair was a lot less tidy and her clothes a bit more shabby. Merlin thought to have seen something only the match was over and she left the range as a winner. Merlin kept his eyes open to see her join up with a shady looking fellow who had a light beard and who's was equally messy. The two might not look very trustworthy but he knew looks could be deceiving.

The manservant turned back to the Prince who was far more interested in the other woman, the one with the braid, and she too had just finished shooting, winning the match.  
"That was quite a display of skill." Arthur complimented her.  
"The sooner we get to the finals, the better."  
"And why is that?" Arthur asked.  
"To get the prize money, of course." She smiled.  
"So who's name will the people be calling tomorrow?" Arthur  
"Isolde." She replied, the woman saw little reason to keep it hidden. "But who is asking? Sire?"  
"Prince," He corrected her proudly "Prince Arthur Pendragon. These are Sir Bertrand and my manservant Merlin."  
"Pleased to meet you, know if you will excuse me." Isolde cut through them and on her way into the lower town put her arm around a seemingly random bloke. Sir Bertrand bowed before leaving the presence of the Prince and his manservant.  
"How are things with you and Gwen?" Merlin asked with the knight gone.  
"What? Why do you ask?" Arthur showed him his 'mind your own business' face.  
"Usually I'd have to beat you with a stick to get you away from her." Merlin thought he'd get a smile from Arthur with that but instead the Prince looked rather seriously.  
"I think she's cross with me."  
"You got into a fight?"  
"No, it didn't come to that, I got called away before it did."  
"So you're avoiding her." Merlin concluded and Arthur wasn't too happy with that.  
"Talk it over with her it's what I... would do." Merlin had almost said 'what I and Morgana do' but luckily he still managed to refrain from such sleps.  
"Don't forget _mer_lin, you're not the one with a girlfriend."  
Merlin sighed, this was going absolutely nowhere.  
"Mind if I do some chores for Gaius?" The manservant asked.  
"Go, I could do with some peace and quiet."  
It was a bit sad but Merlin got his excuse to visit Morgana though now he had a second reason to do so. Arthur didn't feel like thinking it over, he need a distraction of sorts. Of the many things men might do to distract themselves Arthur could do but two things, walk or train. If Merlin were to find him in the tavern or with a girl other than Gwen, he would never hear the end of it.

Walking it was. He wished Sir Bertrand hadn't left, at least he might have been able to provide a distraction. Isolde was quite something, not in a romantically way, but her features were quite pronounced, like a warrior's, so he doubted she was well with just the bow. Then there was the other woman Sir Bertrand showed them, the 'wild woman' Arthur called her in his head. _Where's she gone off to?_ The Prince wondered. There she was, at the edge of the tent camp, along with a man sitting on a wooden fence. Arthur went over to introduce himself but the man spotted him before he could do so.  
"Prince Arthur, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alvarr and this is Enmyria."  
"I've seen you on the range, you're quite the marksman. "  
"The advantage of hunting your own food, Sire." Enmyria replied.  
"I've done some hunting but only for sports, and with a crossbow..."

"Hello?" Merlin called and there was a reply only it wasn't Morgana.  
"Just a second, Merlin." Apparently Gwen was still busy with the housekeeping.  
"It's just you here?" Merlin asked believing Morgana wouldn't be far.  
"Yes, Morgana should be back any moment though."  
"I don't know how to ask you, so I'll speak plainly. Arthur said you were cross with him and it's bothering him."  
"Don't worry, I'm not cross with him, just something I need to talk to him about."  
"No relationship is without troubles."  
"You and Morgana seem to be doing alright."  
Merlin almost snorted, that was far from true.  
"Now, yes, but you've seen what a rocky start we've had."  
"I still wonder about that secret you _couldn't _tell me."  
"Gwen, not a word." Merlin warned her.  
"I can't for the life of me imagine what you could possibly have to hide."  
"Gwen!" Merlin's raised voice made the maid jump in fright, she had never seen him angry like that before. Merlin found himself unlucky that Morgana had decided to enter the room at this very moment.  
"What's going on?" She demanded to know.  
"I was out of line, my Lady." Gwen covered for him but Merlin knew it would make no difference with Morgana.  
He sighed and shook his head. "Forget about it."  
Morgana shot him a look and he sighed once more and explained. "She asked about my secret."  
The Lady nodded and sat down at the vanity as if nothing happened.  
"Gwen, I'm sorry for shouting at you."  
"I should have let it be, like you told me to."  
The manservant smiled, glad that it was done and over with, and headed for the physician's chambers to actually do a few chores.

Arthur's conversation with Alvarr and Enmyria didn't last long. They spoke with respect and were perfectly normal though the Prince first thought they were a bit shifty. The sun was starting to set and the contest would be resumed the next day. The noise of his stomach told the Prince it was probably time for supper and he headed back to the castle. But before he could attend supper with Morgana and his father, Guinevere called him over.  
"Can we talk?" She asked looking rather pleading. Arthur nodded, it was time they did.  
"You've been asking me these questions, I know what you're doing and I understand, but couldn't you at least tell me whether it was right or wrong because I can't help but feel nervous and scared and I don't want to dissap-" Arthur interrupted her rant by wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She felt pressured by his questions, they were merely his curiosity if she'd be a good queen, this hadn't been his intention at all.  
"Right, Gwen. You were always right." He answered. Later, Gwen didn't show up during supper since tears had flown and it wouldn't have been proper. After supper, Merlin got cornered by Arthur and he spilled that he had told Gwen about the Prince's thoughts. Arthur had thanked him but also warned him that next time he string him up on the highest tree.

The tournament was coming to an end, it was time for the finals. Arthur recognized Enmyria and Isolde, they were the only women who made it through to the finals. Camelot's court was to attend the finals which meant Arthur was forced to attend just like Morgana. Their eyes, however, tended to linger on Gwen and Merlin respectively. Arthur had even been so kind as to volunteer his manservant to pick up any stray arrows. The manservant wasn't happy with this at all as it meant being pinned down and prevented him from keeping an eye out for the unnatural.

Nearing the end of the afternoon it was time for the finale and, not surprisingly, it were Isolde and Enmyria. It wasn't difficult to tell who was the favourite amongst the spectators, Enmyria tended to disappear after her matches and Isolde had shared her lifted spirits at the tavern. Merlin favoured Isolde but this was merely because she was kind and he hadn't met Enmyria. Through her talk with Merlin the night before, Morgana too favoured Isolde and decided to pay her a visit.

"Hello?" Morgana asked as she opened the flap of the tent. The Lady wished she hadn't done that without knocking as she saw Isolde and a man break their embrace.  
"Apologies, I didn't mean to intrude." Morgana said a bit flustered but Isolde didn't seem to mind much as she gave him a quick kiss and he laid down on a bedroll.  
"You must be the lady Morgana." Isolde said as she curtsied and a sigh could be heard from the man on the bedroll.  
"Don't mind Tristan, he's a bit shy." Isolde joked and it earned her a crooked smile from him.  
"I wanted to wish you well before the final match."  
Isolde was about to respond but then Tristan had to open his big mouth. "That might've actually meant something had you known how to fight."  
Morgana raised an unimpressed eyebrow knowing his kind of men while Isolde seemed annoyed by him.  
"That might've meant something if you had entered the contest." The lady replied. Tristan almost shot up and smiled, he could appreciate woman who dared to talk back.  
"Mind if I borrow that?" Morgana asked as she pointed at the sword resting against the support beam. Isolde passed her the sword and Tristan, believing to understand the gesture, got up and also grabbed a sword.  
"You're not serious, are you?" Tristan asked with an amused smile on his face. In her mind, Morgana promised to wipe it right off his face. Morgana lifted the sword and the two let the metal brush almost like shaking hands. The Lady was the first to strike and Tristan defended himself easily. Then it was his turn and Morgana defended herself with equal ease. He stepped up his game and began moving to see if her footwork would match up, which it did. She took another turn but this time didn't leave it at a single blow. Tristan defended himself and his smil widened but not in amusement, it widened in wonder. He mimicked her strategy and she defended herself valiantly.  
"Enough." Isolde interrupted before things would get too out of hand. The clashing of swords might alarm the guards and the competition would be postponed, something they didn't want after all their hard work.  
"Now it means something." Tristan said and smiled, a smile they all shared.  
"Again, good luck." Morgana replied.  
"Thank you, my Lady." Isolde remained formal and curties as the she left the tent. Right outside she saw the familiar ears of the raven haired boy.  
"Merlin?" Morgana called the manservant over. She believed he'd be at the range as he'd have to get all the stay arrows. Merlin turned around and walked over to her.  
"Shouldn't you be at the range?" She asked.  
"Not for the finale, they wanted Morris for that." He replied with a grin. Tristan and Isolde passed them by, heading for the range which could only mean the final match was about to begin. Morgana knew she should be heading back to Uther but she couldn't resist the empty tent and pulled Merlin inside, if only for a moment. There was time to waste with all those old and lengthy formalities. The warlock was caught off guard being pulled inside but with her lips covering his, he knew the game she was playing. It was short but very rewarding as she left the tent was a bounce to her step. Merlin left with a hurry. If both of them were latiesh and Arthur come to his senses and connect the dots then there would be hell to pay.

Back at the range, the manservant judged by the arrows in the ground (put there to keep track of points) that both of them had just finished their second shot and Isolde was winning. Merlin watched the crowd as Enmyria prepared her next shot and he saw it, eyes glowing yellow, Alvarr was using magic to help her win. On the opposite side of the range he could see Morgana walking and she caught his eye. For a moment they just stood there, looking, and before Merlin realised it Isolde was walking away from the range to let Enmyria fire once more. If Enmyria were to miss, the game would be over. Then the smile he shared with Morgana turned to dread as the woman suddenly pointed her arrow at the King. Morgana was scraming and Merlin's magic surged through his veins but the distress formed by the crowd moving made him incapable of moving. Everything happened so fast he could barely follow it. Enmyria had let go of her arrow while guards moved towards her, they would be too late for the arrow was in flight. Magic slowed time and he could see the arrow was going straight for the king. The warlock's mind tried to find a way out but something else caught his eye, the golden shine of magic from the eyes of someone other than Alvarr. _Morgana_. The Lady of Camelot, ward of the instigator of the great Purge, had magic. The King's chair collapsed and the arrow almost hit him.

Uther saw heard saw the arrow pointed at him and turned his head at the sound of his ward screaming. Knowing the woman's accuracy he thought his days numbered. Then his chair collapsed but that didn't prevent him from seeing the gold in Morgana's eyes. The arrow passed him by and as he got up followed her gaze towards his son's manservant who was staring at her. It seemed he had seen it as well, Gaius' ward, Merlin he believed his name was. Both of them were moving away from the crowd and the tournament, heading back to the castle. The would-be murderess was on the floor with an arrow sticking out of her chest. With the woman's prompt change of target, Isolde had taken matters into her own hand and killed her. The King told his son and knights to escort him back to the castle where he would visit the court physician, not that there was but a thing wrong with him.

Morgana didn't go to her room but the physician's chambers, if Uther saw then it might buy her a bit of time. Merlin was close enough to follow her inside where she ran into his arms. Gaius had taken opportunity of everyone attending the archery contest meaning he was stocking up on herbs from the travelling merchants in peace.  
"Merlin, it was me, it was magic, _I HAVE MAGIC._" She spoke hysterically.  
"Morgana, calm down." He said as she brought her down to sit on a bench.  
"What if Uther saw, what if _anyone_ saw what I did?"  
"Nobody saw and nobody is going to hurt you, I won't let them." She was worth more to him than his own secrets, he would die for her should the need arise and Arthur would see there was more to magic than the wicked sorcerers he'd come to hate. Minutes passed before Morgana spoke once more. She saw her life flash before her eyes and everything that could've been.  
"I... nothing makes sense anymore." She began to sob against his shoulder.  
"It's going to be alright." He whispered into her ear.  
The sound of the door opening made their heads turn. Merlin felt Morgana's heart skip a beat along with his own, Uther was standing in the doorway. Morgana wanted to run and hide but Merlin's arms kept her where she was, the one place she might be safe.  
"There you are, are you alright?" The King asked as he kneeled down before her. She was petrified as if his head would turn into that of a giant snake and eat her whole.  
"She's just a bit shocked, Sire, I'm sure a bit of rest will do her well." Merlin answered for her. Somewhere, Uther felt relieved for not being forced to make a decision. The King did not understand what was going on. Morgana had magic, that was something he would have to come to terms with, but she seemed to be just as shocked by it as he was if not more so.  
"Yes, that would be best." Uther gave Morgana a comforting nod and left. Outside the room Uther put his back against the wall. He might be King but that didn't mean he lost the ability to cry. He wanted to and he would later that day, but not when there was a kingdom to look after.  
"I'm so scared." Morgana cried as her hands tried to pull Merlin even closer, to bury herself in his arms.  
"He doesn't know, you're safe." Merlin kissed her forehead but he had seen the look in the King's eyes and he was sure there was doubt in them. It seemed hours before Morgana had found the courage to leave his arms and even when she was back in her room it took a while before he could leave. He promised her that he would guide her every step of the way. Outside her room he sighed. Some would have found her bothersome but he didn't want to leave her like that, not ever. Unfortunately he had to or else he might arouse suspicion. Morgana didn't show up for supper but Uther seemed to understand. Arthur on the other hand didn't because she had dismissed Gwen, something he though she would not do when distressed. Forunately he kept his mouth shut this once. After Merlin had brought all the dishes and return to Arthur's side, he had the most curious thing to say to his manservant.  
"My father wants to speak with you in private."  
"Isn't Gaius back yet?" Merlin asked since had heard all about Uther wanting to visit the physician's shortly after his close encounter with death.  
"He asked for my manservant, not the court physician." Arthur explained.  
Merlin nodded while his mind worked at full speed at what could possible be going on.  
"Why would he have need of _you_?" The Prince asked suspiciously.  
"I'm just as surprised as you are." Merlin replied as he made for the King's chambers. With every step he took he moved closer to his or Morgana's death. Perhaps this was what the dragon meant when he spoke of them as enemies. Maybe the King would confront him and he would have to save Morgana from persuction. She would fight him, Uther, 'till his final breath and then, when Arthur refuses to allow magic, she will try to kill the Prince as well. He wouldn't help her. He might let her kill Uther but Arthur he would surely defend. The door to the King's chambers, the gateway to heaven or hell. Merlin knocked twice and called 'my liege' before the command was given for him to enter.

The King wasn't wearing his crown and Merlin could sense something was going on already.  
"Merlin, I understand that you were one of the spectators when that woman almost killed me." He began and already Merlin knew this was about Morgana. For the sake of keeping up appearances he replied accordinglky.  
"Yes Sire, I was."  
"And that you must have seen Morgana... Morgana's eyes." If any man would know how to recognize a sorcerer then it would be Uther.  
"Her eyes, Sire?" Merlin tried to play dumb.  
"I will speak plainly, you know Morgana has magic."  
Merlin's heart sank, this was a nightmare. He gulped but managed to form a reply regardless.  
"No, Sire, that's ridiculous. Morgana doesn't have magic, you must be mistaken, trick of the light or something."  
"Merlin, given your past with Gaius I can understand your choice to hide it from me." Uther spoke and that made him feel even worse. Morgana would be executed for magic and yet he would live, it would be the greatest betrayel in the world. But Uther had more to say. "Merlin, I want you to protect her for me."  
"Sorry?" The warlock couldn't believe what he was hearing. The King wanted him to protect Morgana?  
"You've saved Arthur from magic and kept quiet about Morgana to save her from persecution. I can see where your loyalties lie." The King's voice was one of understanding, honour and maybe a hint of respect. Seeing as Merlin was unable to give a response, the King continued. "I cannot force you to protect her but I do believe you should be the one to do it, to keep her on the path that is right."  
"Yes, Sire, I will look after her for you." He could barely speak but this had to be said.  
Uther let out a deep breath and the manservant could see his muscles relax.  
"One last thing, Sire." Merlin spoke up. "Should she be exposed to the public, what would you have me do?"  
Once more Uther seemed to make a difficult choice but he had an answer nontheless. "Anything, as long as you keep her alive."  
Merlin nodded but thought to himself that the world just got a whole lot more complicated.  
"Now then, you will keep your new... duties... to yourself, no one, not even I, should know." Uther told him. It was understandable he didn't even want to know, the lengths Merlin might have to go to could be unspeakable.

Outside the King's room Merlin wanted to laugh, this was wrong in so many ways. He had appointed him as her protector while, in truth, he was two things he didn't want him to be. A sorcerer and her lover and he didn't know which one the King would hate most.

Later that night, when Merlin brought Morgana her sleeping draft, Uther paid a visit to Gaius.  
"Sire, what a surprise, this is most unusual." Gaius greeted him.  
"Gaius, there is something I have to know. Is there any way to rid a person from magic?"  
"Sire, might I ask where this question is coming from, or rather, whom it concerns?"  
"Observant as always."Uther spoke with respect but in his mind he cursed the heavens. "It's Morgana, I'm rather sure of it that she has magic."  
"I assure you-" The physician began but Uther didn't want to hear any more excuses. He _knew_ Morgana had magic and he would not be told otherwise any longer.  
"Gaius! Don't take me for a fool, I know what I saw and I will not see my ward come to any harm." The King had raised his voice slightly but the physician took in his words with great thought.  
"There is no way to rid a person from magic in the whole of Albion." Gaius replied.  
"Then it is time for succession, that Arthur becomes King and I set out to find a cure for magic." Uther said bluntly.  
"Sire, you can't be serious."  
"I have already tasked your ward with protecting Morgana."  
"You've ordered Merlin to protect Morgana, from herself?" Gaius asked with disbelief, the greater part of it was of course the fact that Merlin was actually a sorcerer.  
"To keep her on the righteous path." Uther explained. "Tomorrow I shall send for Agravaine. He will guide my son to become a fine king."

* * *

**AN (long):**  
Surprise! As you can see, reviews make me write faster.

I know what you might say "Morgana would never save Uther". Fact of the matter is that in this storyline Uther hasn't wronged Morgana since 'To kill the king' and back then she saved him. But the next time he would wrong her (in 'The nightmare begins') never happened.

Anyways, EXIT UTHER!  
With his resignation the next chapter will linger on how it will affect Camelot and everyone's personal ties.  
Uther was getting in the way of my writing but killing him off seemed a bit too definitive.  
At least now he might come back or, should the need arise, let him die out of view.

So Morgana's coming into her magic and, since it's season 2 (ish), it was about time.  
Having Uther make Merlin her 'protector' should be a surprise but Uther does love his _ward_ and he sees Merlin as the next 'Gaius'.

Alvarr and Enmyria tried to assassinate the king, no surprise there, and only Alvarr escapes.  
In the series, I hate Alvarr, I hate how he manipulates Morgana's feelings. At least now I can keep him as a villain without wishing him a slow and painful death (but someone else will soon enough).

Tristan and Isolde's involvement was merely to make them acquinted so they won't be complete strangers in future.

Also, I had this incredible urge to let someone take _an arrow to the knee _but eventually thought it broke the flow of the story.

_In response to the comments on the previous chapter:_

Writing in an episode sort of way is exactly what I'm after and more importantly, it's telling a short story (like The Haunting) whilst still progressing in the main storyline (the part with Kilgharrah). This chapter, however, was focused on the main storyline.

As for new/different creatures, I wanted my Mergana follow-up to be something other than a season rewrite.  
I love hearing I surprise you or, at the very least, keep you interrested. It's what I like most about it.


	5. Quests of Kings

**AN:**  
Holy, quite a lot of reviews there, didn't expect that but it's nice :D

This is a short filler, it just had to be done.

* * *

**Quests of Kings**

A week had passed since Morgana's magic had surfaced. The King had sent for his brother-in-law, Sir Agravaine, with the intention that he guide his son's reign. Before his arrival, nobles had come from all corners of Camelot to attend the coronation. The talk between father and son about succession had come as a shock and the Prince didn't know what to say.

_"I understand succession but why do you need to leave?" Arthur asked.  
"To make you King of your own making." Uther explained.  
"At least tell me where you will go." The Prince pleaded.  
"France, to begin with. The Saxon tribes pose a threat best faced head on."  
"You're going off to war?" His father's words angered him.  
"Lord Seth has asked for our aid repeatedly, it's time I join him."_

It was a lengthy conversation and eventually Arthur agreed though insisted he take a few knights with him. Uther didn't mention Morgana's magic in the slightest. They wouldn't write since Uther might be anywhere at any time. In truth Uther would not fight the Saxons save for minor skirmishes during his travels. The crowning ceremony would commence the day after Agravaine would arrive. Merlin almost used Arthur by making him tell Morgana about his father's decision. It lifted her spirits but into joy. The King's decision also pleased Gwen who saw it as the end of any arranged marriages and even Kilgharrah was in a better mood.

Gaius, however, needed a word with his ward.  
"Merlin, you're aware of Morgana's magic, aren't you?"  
"I am." Merlin didn't like the question because they had discussed her magic before meaning Gaius was going to try and make a point.  
"And so is Uther." Gaius added. Merlin cringed inside, he knew where this was going and he didn't feel like talking about it.  
"Yes." Merlin answered shortly.  
"And he made you her protector." There it was, the Gaius-brow. The manservant hated it when he did that.  
"He told you?" Merlin asked.  
"He did and I can't help but wonder what you've told her. You didn't tell her Uther knows, did you?"  
"And scare the life out of her?" Merlin stated incredulous, he might've been clumsy but he wasn't mad. "I told her she doesn't have to be scared and that I'll help her." He resumed.  
"Help her how? You cannot tell her about your magic, no good will come of it." Gaius lectured him yet again, Merlin hated it when he did that, hated it more than the thing with his brow.  
"I can help her understand." The warlock pleaded.  
"You mustn't tell her. If someone is to help her, I will, like I've always done." Gaius replied and it sent Merlin over the edge. He knew how Gaius _helped_ her, he did that by ignoring symptoms and denying things had happened. He wouldn't be helping her, with all his good intentions he would destroy her. How could Gaius say he'd help her when the last sorcerer he 'helped' probably ended up on a pyre! At this point Merlin didn't even consider Gaius as a sorcerer, the warlock felt more kinship to Morgana than him and he wouldn't let him end that.  
"All you've _**ever**_done is lie and hide the truth while you drug her with poison!" Merlin spat. "I can't do that to her, Gaius, not anymore."  
Merlin's outburst shocked Gaius to the bone and left him speechless. They had always had their differences when it came to Morgana but he had never thought his ward would speak so vile. Merlin stormed at the room, he wanted to hear no more of it. His words, his insults, they were all the frustrations he had bottled up. It was harsh but it was the truth. Gaius had always lied about her dreams, spoke comforting lies she would believe all to willingly and subsequently provide her sleeping draft in hopes of it never to return, but they always did.

Morgana stood by the window overlooking the courtyard. She could hardly wait to see Uther ride off for the last time, hopefully never to return. She smiled slightly at the prospect of a safer Camelot, a land in which she and Merlin could be together at the very least. They belonged together, there was no denying it now that she had discovered her magic as well. Uther's presence still made her stomach twist and turn. First she saved a man she though cared for her only to discover she was something he despised most in the world. If it weren't for his departure, Morgana wouldn't have known what she would've done.

Gwen spoke with Arthur about his succession and they wandered into the territory of how their relationship would fare. They weren't going to marry the moment Uther left Camelot, that would be one surprise too many for the people and make it seem like Arthur was abusing his power. Few knew about the Prince's feelings for the servant girl, only three people knew so far and he had no intention on expanding that number.

Lord Agravaine arrived shortly after breakfast. The King, his son and his ward welcomed him to Camelot. Agravaine was Arthur's uncle, Ygraine's brother. Despite being on good terms with the Pendragons, Uther had killed his brother, Tristan du Bois, when he wanted to avenge Ygraine who died in labour. A feast was to be held in honour of the soon-to-be King and the coronation that would follow the next day. Morgana remembered Lord Agravaine but he had changed quite a bit since they last met.

In the evening there was almost a queue before the Prince's chamber with knights and close friends wanting to wish him well. Merlin had already wished him well and so had Morgana over dinner which, after all was said and done, left Gwen in his capable hands.

"You'll make a fine king." She said as she brushed a stray hair of his aside.  
"And you will make a fine Queen." Arthur replied.  
"But first you'll have to learn how to rule over Camelot." She said as she straightened her back. It wasn't just a reply, it was a demand. Gwen would never put her needs before those of the people. She gave him a peck on the cheek and wished him goodnight before heading home.

The next morning began in silence. Merlin woke him, brought him breakfast and had laid out his clothes but after that he was gone, other chores to attend to.

Opening the doors to the throne room he could see everyone already there, waiting for him. With every step down the aisle Arthur tried to remain calm, he would make his father proud. He wouldn't rule Camelot by himself.

_*Step*_

To his left he saw most of the servants and lesser nobles. Amongst them was Gwen, smiling more brightly than ever. She was his support, he could tell her anything and she would speak truth above all else. She would speak her mind when she thought him to be wrong and stand her ground and fight if she had to, Ealdor was a perfect example of that.

_*Step*_

To his right he saw Morgana, she was his father's ward but as of late he began thinking of her to be more like a sister. She had the courage to defy everything and everyone when she felt like it. She could really get on his nerves but he wouldn't want it any other way. But Morgana cared for things he didn't, she convinced him to defy his father and save Merlin's life. One of the best decisions in his life.

_*Step*_

Merlin, the clotpole that saved his life at least twice and was loyal beyond measure. He had pushed the manservant to his limits with all the chores and insults but the fun thing about Merlin was that he pushed back. And if he were a bit clumsy, so be it, as long as his bed was tidy, breakfast on time, his armour polished and the stabled mucked out there would be little left to be desired. If it weren't for the clotpole, he might never have found his love in Gwen.

_*Step*_

Sir Leon and the knights. Each and every one of them honourable men though Sir Leon was the most honourable of all. The man had served well as both knight and friend. They had shed blood in the heat of battle and such bonds were not easily broken.

_*Step*_

Gaius, couldn't forget the old physician could he? He was there when Uther wasn't. He had taught him how to read and write. He took care of his ills even when he wouldn't admit he had them.

_*Step*_

Agravaine du Bois, his mother's brother. He remembered his uncle do a jig, some of the servants present that night still jest about it from time to time. He would be the man to help him find his place on the throne in the new world yet to come.

_*Step*_

Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot, his father. It didn't feel right, his father going off to war, but he'd rather become King like this than wait for another attempt on his life. Arthur would miss him dearly but it would be for the best.

_*Step*_

The crown of the King in the hands of Geoffrey of Monmouth. The stuffy librarian spoke of the people and laws to be upheld. Somewhere it felt like he was taking vows, as in marriage, and Arthur almost cracked a smile.

Arthur swore to uphold to 'govern the peoples of Camelot' and the weight of the world was placed upon his head.

_Long live the king!_

_Long live the king!_

_Long live the king!_

King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot.

* * *

**AN:**

Don't worry, the next chapter is going to be a big one like usual. I've got so many ideas which will surprise you but I had to get this over with first, so I stole a bit of dialogue from 'The Nightmare Begins'.  
I _love_ making Merlin angry, there's just so much left unsaid. Insulting Gaius about lies and potions, I felt it just had to be written, so much fun.


	6. Troublesome Migrations

**Troublesome Migrations**

Arthur let out a groan. Ever since his father made him King of Camelot he had been buried with work. It was politics over and over, the only important order he had given was that guards and soldiers would cease hunting sorcerers. Morgana had convinced him it wasn't worth the effort to have them keep looking and they'd better serve the kingdom replacing the knights Uther had taken with him. The King saw reason and ordered them to uphold the law in nearby villages instead. He was thankful Gwen was there to support him from the shadowy corridors, the empty guest chambers and the mornings she brought him breakfast. Still, she wasn't his maid which meant he was still stuck with Merlin. Not that he was complaining, his armour was polished, the stables in order and everything in his wardrobe without holes. It seemed to Arthur that his manservant had finally caught up on his chores.

Agravaine felt well at home in Camelot. He could still remember the feast held for his sister's coronation, the feast for Arthur's brought back all of those emotions but not enough to make him do a jig. But Arthur was no Ygraine but thankfully neither was he a complete 'Uther'. He didn't like his brother-in-law very much but his son, no, he would be Uther's son no more. Uther was gone and he was to take watch over Arthur, his sister's son, and he would make her proud of her son. Agravaine was no fool, he knew the King had been manipulated by Morgana but that bothered him surprisingly little. Perhaps it was because she was right. After all, she had defied her guardian time and again.

Merlin was still at odds with Gaius. They spoke briefly at breakfast but any feelings of family were gone. The warlock hadn't told his guardian about his love for Morgana nor that she knew of his magic. Out of sight, Gaius was worried beyond measure. For the first time he had truly seen the darkness in the boy's heart and the physician feared that speaking of their falling out would only antagonize him further. But he was just as stubborn as Merlin, neither would admit fault.

Green eyes, how he loved to gaze upon them. Out of everything Merlin thought this best of all. He finally had someone with whom he could share his every secret. He explained to her that her dreams were visions of the future and that she was a seer. She understood but with the horrors she had seen in the past she still wanted her sleeping draft. He had even told her about the dragon. _Gold._ A flame walked upon the palm of her hand. The Lady of Camelot was eager to learn as with every spell she became more and more fond of it. It didn't mean there was no longer time for talk or kissing, both those things still happened plenty but usually in the morning rather than the evening. With Gwen tending to Arthur so frequently things seemed to be falling into place.

"Merlin!" The manservant recognized the voice of his King and smiled sarcastically. What on earth did he do wrong now? Morgana handed him a list as he quickly stood up. They had rehearsed it a couple of times and Morgana said he was getting better at it. The door flung open and the Prince entered the room, surprisingly, with a smile on his face.  
"...and flowers." Merlin read the last item from the list of fake errands to run.  
"What is it, Arthur?" Morgana asked. _My King, My Liege._ No, Morgana would call the prat by his name. He rarely, if ever, called her _Lady_ when addressing her.  
"Work." He replied cheerfully. "So, Merlin, stop being such a girl and get me my armour." He ordered as he turned around to leave.  
"What's the occasion?" Morgana asked just in time.  
"Horses." Arthur grinned. "A herd of wild horses has been plaguing some of the villages and I feel like I've deserved a bit of fun."  
"Hunting." He replied. Merlin sighed, the excitement of a possible adventure washed from his face.

Out in the forest were Arthur, Agravaine, Merlin and a few knights. Arthur had more protection with him than usual ever since he became King. The sound of hooves could be heard in the distance. Merlin reluctantly handed Arthur and his uncle their crossbows. _"Hunting"_ Merlin cursed because for him it was guard duty. The hunting party steered their horses towards the sound of the hooves while Merlin kept an eye out for danger. Knowing the horses were just over the hill, Arthur brought his upon it with his crossbow at the ready but what he saw was something he didn't hold possible. Horses came from the other side of the hill and knocked the King from his. Merlin saw there weren't just horses but riders... there were no horses or riders, this was something in between.

Four legs, hooves, two arms and dark brown hair until its shoulder. Or rather where a horse's shoulders would be, because from there upwards was the torso of a man with human skin despite a great deal of chest hair. There was a head with hair fashioned rather short but it had also two arms which held a spear, a weapon. The most daunting thing, however, was that they were really tall.

Agravaine was pushed off his horse before he could fire his crossbow while the knights took the defensive and gathered around Lord Agravaine and the King. The creatures kept pouring over the hill, dozens of them against the few from Camelot but fighting had not yet commenced. All the warlock could possibly do was to keep sight of as many as he could along with the King he had to protect. The creatures studied them from a distance until one of them stepped forward, probably their leader.

"I am Hartigan, Prime of the clan." He spoke. Warily Arthur moved closer to the Prime keeping with his hands visible to all.  
"I am King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot." The King spoke with his voice strong but not without respect.  
"We know who you are. Son of Uther, the instigator of the Great Purge." Hartigan replied. Arthur gulped, yet another enemy of his father. Arthur preferred diplomacy to combat but they seemed rather unwilling to do so.  
"I fear I am not yet acquainted with your..." Arthur hesitated, 'race' might come off wrong. "kind."  
Hartigan squinted with something best described as disgust or rage.  
"We are centaurs, the twilight of man and nature. Now tell us why you are here." Hartigan demanded to know. The King did not appreciate his tone of voice but thought it best not to push his authority whilst outnumbered.  
"Reports told us of wild horses attacking villages. We came here to deal with it only you are no wild horses."  
Hartigan could be seen thinking. The Prime shouted somewhat animalistic and the other centaurs moved back, their weapons sheathed or pointed elsewhere.  
"What happened?" Arthur asked trying to be reasonable.  
"Leave, son of Uther Pendragon, we have nothing to say to you." Hartigan declared.  
"I am King of Camelot, I'm the authority of these lands and the people you're scaring."  
"Your father's word was tainted by the lies he told, a son of his would be no different." The centaur spat.  
Agravaine stepped forward believing he might be able to negotiate "If I may..."  
"No! You may not!" Hartigan cut him off. The name 'Agravaine' meant nothing to the centaurs and because of it he _was_ nothing to them.  
The King backed away and climbed back in the saddle. Slowly but surely they moved away from the centaurs and back to Camelot. Reaching the end of the forest, Merlin could see the King shake his head. The centaurs were headstrong. It occurred to him he didn't know how long the centaurs would remain, if they planned on leaving at all. Should it take too long, he might be forced to fight them while they had the decency of letting them go.

Back at Camelot it was time for council. What was to happen with the centaurs?  
"They refused negotiations with both the King and Sir Agravaine." Sir Leon stated.  
"I will not fight them if I don't have to." Arthur wanted that to be very clear to the rest of them.  
"We can't send out any knights or servants, they can't negotiate on behalf of Camelot nor would they be believed." Agravaine argued.  
"Gaius?" Arthur requested the physician's advice.  
"The centaurs live in clans and each clan has a 'Prime', a leader. They are formidable hunters and live off what the forest provides. But they are no warriors, they have no combat experience or battle tactics."  
"That's not what I meant, Gaius. I meant to ask if you could negotiate on Camelot's behalf." The King explained.  
"Sire, my reputation amongst sorcerers and creatures of magic is not very favourable." Gaius hated to admit it.  
Arthur sighed, of all the answers this would've been the last one he wanted to hear.  
"There is, however, someone else they might listen to." Gaius spoke.  
"Who?" Arthur asked.  
"The Lady Morgana." Gaius replied and saw Merlin's glare. The physician began to suspect their falling out had been caused by far more than the disagreement they had spoken of. He knew Merlin and Morgana were good friends but even then it shouldn't trigger such an aggressive response.

Arthur entered the Lady's chambers along with his manservant. Gwen was there and the King couldn't help but catch her eye.  
"Arthur." Morgana demanded his attention. "I thought the council was in session."  
"I assume you're aware of the centaurs in the forest."  
"Yes, I'm sorry to hear you became prey during your hunting trip." She mocked him.  
"Anyway, the villages want them gone but they won't talk to any of us. But they might just listen to you." Arthur stated.  
"You want me to negotiate with them?" Morgana knew the game he was playing.  
"Unless you're not up for it." Arthur taunted.  
"In your dreams, Arthur Pendragon." Morgana replied.  
"Good, we'll leave as soon as you're ready." Arthur said but as he opened the door he noticed he lacked a manservant.  
"Merlin?" Arthur asked wondering what was keeping him.  
"The sooner Morgana is ready, the sooner the problem gets solved." Merlin had chosen his words carefully. He had considered telling him it was physician business but then the King would, without a doubt, demand to know what he was doing. The manservant was lucky that Arthur nodded in agreement and left the room without him.  
"Morgana, I'd rather you don't go." Merlin spoke with concern in his voice. It reminded Morgana why she had chosen for him and not some highborn lord or Prince. They would command her like a servant while Merlin, ironically enough, treated her like a lady. She smiled as she found his protectiveness over her most endearing.  
"Merlin, I have to do this. It's for the best." Morgana replied. The warlock sighed but nodded, he knew convincing her was a long shot. Morgana would always do what her heart told her to. She had convinced Arthur to find the morteaus flower, helped him fight the bandits plaguing Ealdor and not too long ago she had given him her heart. Silent witness to this all was Gwen who recognized a great deal of her and Arthur in them.  
"I'll go and ready the horses." Merlin looked back one last time before he left.

All the way to the forest Arthur went on about what Morgana could and couldn't do. Meanwhile Merlin remained vigilant trying to keep track of every light and shadow, which was a bit difficult since Morgana was wearing chainmail and it showed off her slim waist and other admirable features. Standing on the hill where Arthur first laid eyes upon the centaurs the King cursed. They were gone but he was certain they remained a threat. The King took a deep breath and stated they would find the centaurs and work out their differences. They found a path in the woods, one way lay Camelot while the other went deeper into the forest. It went without saying that they followed the latter but after mere minutes it seemed like they had chosen wrongly as a burly voice shouted from the bushes.  
"This is a robbery! Your money _and_ your lives!" It weren't the centaurs and Merlin called upon his magic with his mind clear of doubt, they wouldn't lay a hand on Morgana. An arrow pierced the side of Arthur's horse who would fall on its left, so the King quickly shifted his balance right making him fall from his saddle but on top of the horse instead of being crushed beneath it. Merlin mentally cursed himself, his thoughts had been with Morgana instead of the prat with the destiny. Already he began to regret not leaving Morgana at the castle, if only he had pushed it a bit harder. _"Forbearnan firgenholt"_ Merlin's eyes glowed gold and with a soft 'poof' the branch of a tree fell down on the archer and rendered him unconscious. Morgana had dismounted just to be sure she wouldn't find herself in danger like Arthur was in and Merlin followed her example. By now Arthur had gotten back on his feet and the bandits were upon them. There weren't a lot of bandits, five of them without the archer, but they were eager to be rid of the King first. Morgana swiftly cleaved her sword into her foe's neck and went to assist Arthur. Merlin cheated with magic to throw his opponent off balance and stuck his sword inside his body. Turning around Merlin saw what had been inevitable. With three attackers it had been only a matter of time before he'd slip up and expose himself to a blow. He saw the bandit raise his sword and... flung into the air holding onto his sword which flew backwards into a tree. Just in time the warlock could see the gold fade from her eyes. Thankfully she did not tarry and together with Arthur she finished off his remaining attackers. The last bandit, who had just retrieved his sword from the tree, was scared because the odds had been two to one. Nevertheless, he didn't give up and Arthur disarmed him without effort. With the tip of his sword he forced the fiend with his back against a tree and for a moment the King turned to his companions.  
"Won't take long." He replied and Merlin understood that Arthur would be interrogating the bandit about the centaurs' location. Merlin and Morgana sat down against another tree not too far away so they could talk in private.  
"That was close." Merlin stated as he cracked a smile. It had been far too close but now he was glad she was there after all.  
"Merlin, that man... did you send him backwards or I?" She asked him.  
"You did." Merlin replied.  
"I felt magic but I'm sure I haven't said a word." She argued and her brows were furrowed in confusion.  
"It was the same thing as with Uther, a reflex."  
"Shouldn't you teach me how to supress it?"  
"Not when it's life or death. You don't freeze things in mid-air when you drop them."  
"Oi!" Arthur called. "I know where they are!"  
The two sorcerers stood up to follow the King but with the distance between them and his back turned towards them, Merlin couldn't resist. He let Morgana walk in front of him and whispered into her ear. "I'm proud of you." And gave her a peck on the cheek. There it was again, Morgana blushing. Little things like these filled her heart with joy. She was a novice when it came to magic and he, the unsung hero, was proud of her.

They had to walk because Arthur's horse was dead, Merlin's had run off and Morgana refused to ride when they walked. After an hour walking the King smiled at the sound of hooves, they had found them. They had fire and something was cooking but Arthur found it difficult to call it a camp. At the ridge of the camp they were stopped by two centaurs, both armed with spears..  
"I seek an audience with Hartigan." The King declared. One of the guards let out an animalistic roar like Hartigan had and they waited in an uncomfortable silence. The Prime appeared and placed himself between the two guards.  
"Did I not make myself clear, Arthur Pendragon?" Hartigan asked with a poisonous tone of voice.  
"I am the Lady Morgana and I am here to negotiate on behalf of Camelot." Morgana interrupted him. Hartigan leaned forward without moving his feet and took a closer look at her. He observed her carefully and as he straightened himself, smiled.  
"Now if the King were to leave, negotiations can begin." Hartigan replied.  
"I'm not leaving you alone with her." Arthur warned him.  
"Your manservant can stay but I won't have you or your poisonous words near us." The Prime replied harshly.  
"Fine." Arthur spat as he unsheathed his sword and handed it over to Merlin.

With Arthur out of sight and earshot, Hartigan seemed much more at ease.  
"Hartigan, what is it you're doing here?" Morgana asked.  
"Cenred chased us from his lands, we merely seek passage through the kingdom of Camelot."  
"Where are you headed?" Morgana inquired.  
"We wish to travel to the Western Isles for the summer solstice"  
"You're half horse, what's taking you so long?"  
_Half horse?_ Merlin didn't really approve of her choice of words but Hartigan didn't seem to mind it much.  
"A few peasants thought us easy prey and tried to fight us."  
"Some of you are wounded." Merlin reasoned. "So you either want safe passage or a place to rest."  
Hartigan moved closer to the manservant, the sound of his hooves most threatening. Morgana would have none of it and positioned herself, armed, between the two. Seeing as she wouldn't allow him to move closer to the manservant, he continued.  
"Safe passage and the services of a healer or physician." Hartigan explained.  
"Just how many of you need safe passage?"  
"If the wounded are can be saved, 48, otherwise 44."  
"I'm the apprentice of the court physician, I might not know everything but I'm here now." Merlin introduced himself.  
"Merlin." Morgana tried to warn him but both knew he could take care of himself just fine.  
"It's for the best." Merlin quoted her which angered her slightly.  
"Fine." Morgana agreed but that didn't mean she had to like it. "I'll speak with Arthur about securing safe passage." The Lady walked off with more than a bit of anger radiating from her. Hartigan escorted Merlin to the wounded during which he also saw female centaurs, they weren't much different and like humans they covered themselves. He explained that nature provided everything they needed from nutrition to making antidotes. The problem was humans, nature's greatest enemy. Whatever nature would build, people would destroy. Now Merlin would have to find a way to right their wrongs.

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur asked as Morgana approached him.  
"Tending to the wounded, one of their demands though you'd best bring Gaius with you. The other was safe passage through Camelot. There are almost fifty of them so that might be a bit of a problem." Morgana explained.  
"Fifty centaurs is enough to raid a small village. The wounded are probably hunters and the villagers thought they were attacking. All they really need it protection from the villages, bandits wouldn't dare attack a force of fifty centaurs." Arthur's combat oriented mind told him. "I don't believe we have much of a choice, do we? I don't want a bloodbath."  
"We'll be escorting them into Nemeth, it would be wise to send a messenger ahead." Morgana stated diplomatically.  
"Agreed. Off to Camelot then." Arthur said as he got on the last of the horses that remained and held out his hand.  
"I'll stay with the centaurs, you're much faster on your own." Morgana argued.  
"I won't be back before dawn, so come on." Arthur replied, to him it didn't feel right to leave her with 'savages'.  
"Then you'd best get going." Morgana smacked her hand against the horse's rear. The horse immediately went into motion and although the King could steer it back to her, he didn't. He knew that at this point there was just no arguing with her.

Out of the four wounded only one had suffered a serious injury, the other three would require bandages but weren't in any immediate danger. But Merlin kept his diagnosis to himself since the anatomy of humans and centaurs wasn't quite the same. The truly wounded centaur had a spear pierced into his flank, a part of the body Merlin knew little of. Still, Merlin knew humans and animals shared a lot of traits. Heart, stomach, kidney, the works. The warlock introduced himself to the dying centaur, Ilix, and began asking symptoms. There was pain, of course, and he was running a fever. Asking further it seemed Ilix had been wounded days ago and the wound had gotten infected.  
"Hartigan!" Merlin called him over. "The three of them will be fine with a couple of bandages but Ilix might be a problem."  
Hartigan nodded, the centaur probably expected as much.  
"The spear that wounded Ilix lodged itself between two ribs and grazed the stomach. The stomach is leaking and the wound has gotten infected. He's in pain and I doubt he'll live for more than a day or two."  
"Is there nothing you can do for him?" Hartigan asked. Merlin considered healing him with magic. Was it worth the risk?  
"The only thing that might be capable of saving him would be magic."  
"I highly doubt that." Hartigan replied.  
"What? Why?" Merlin asked.  
"Do you know why Uther hunted us?" Hartigan asked but before Merlin could answer, there was a noise in the distance and Prime's head shot up for a moment before looking down at Merlin again.  
"It seems the Lady Morgana has returned with an answer." Hartigan spoke as they walked back to where they had entered the camp. The centaur did not address the Lady but waited for her to speak first. Her first words, however, were not meant for Hartigan.  
"You alright?" Morgana asked the manservant. Merlin nodded with a reassuring smile and with a shallow sigh she continued with the official matters.  
"The King has returned to Camelot to make arrangements for your escort to the kingdom of Nemeth. He will return tomorrow." Morgana told him. Hartigan nodded and went back the way they came. The guards didn't prevent Morgana from entering the camp and walking with Merlin, it had been a bit obvious that she too would spend the night at the camp.  
"Hartigan, you asked me if I knew why Uther hunted you. The answer is I don't." Merlin spoke claiming both his and Morgana's attention. Hartigan straightened his back to tell his story.  
"Being born of nature, we are highly resistant to magic. We struck a bargain with Uther in secret. If we were to purge the lands of Essetir, we would be awarded lands, a place to make our home. When we came to claim our prize, soldiers attacked us. The King had changed his mind and thought us too much kin to magic."  
"That's what you meant by poisonous words." Morgana stated.  
"Indeed. As for Ilix, we will wait for your master's examination. If he can't help him, we'll bring Ilix into the next." And with that Hartigan meant 'the next world', death.  
"Hartigan, where exactly are we supposed to sleep?" Merlin asked since returning to Camelot would take the entire night.  
"You can't ride back to Camelot like the King?" It was a fair question and Merlin explained what had transpired before they found them, coincidently explaining _how_ they found them. Hartigan listened patiently and eventually brought them a horse blanket. Like the druids, they brought everything with them for every season. It was a bit unusual but neither complained, both had slept in far more inhospitable places. Merlin and Morgana picked a spot beneath a tree. For a while they laid on top of it and talked without flirtatious remarks, in the eyes of the centaurs they were still Lady and servant. As light faded and stars began appearing in the night sky, it was time to sleep. They laid on the ground and used the blanket as a cover.  
"Good night, Morgana." Merlin spoke but to Morgana that wasn't enough.  
"You're not getting away that easy." Morgana said and for a moment Merlin feared she might bring up his rash attitude during the negotiations. No, her hungry lips on his was far more pleasurable. Her tongue was far more vigorous than he was used to. He blamed the fresh air, the star filled sky and the knowledge that, for the night, they would be together with no one to walk in on them...but he broke this kiss.  
"We're surrounded by centaurs." He reminded her though the lack of light only revealed outlines and the bodies of centaurs seemed to have taken on the strangest shapes.  
"Okay, I'll leave those lips of yours alone." She agreed uncharacteristically. He turned his back towards her in hopes of getting a good night's rest but Morgana got the idea of spooning, her hips against his and head snuggling in his hair, the tempting warmth of her closeness would make sleeping an effort. Then he gasped as her lips planted soft kisses up and down his neck. She did say she'd leave _his lips_ alone, by the gods he had to pay more attention to such things. Merlin turned around so he would be face her, preventing her from kissing the back of his neck. She eyed him with a cheeky smirk on her face. She scooted closer to him and picked up where she left off, kissing his neck, which now included his Adam's apple. The first time they shared sheets and she couldn't keep her hands to herself. What kind of annoyed Merlin was that he let her. He softly laid his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back a bit so he could give her what she wanted, his lips on hers, and this time he would show her who was boss. Her hands roamed under the covers yet still on top of his clothes, exploring his body but remaining chaste. Merlin did the same although mainly to find a better grip, the chainmail she was wearing helped with that. In the end one of the two had to breathe, properly, and the kiss was broken.  
"Good night, Merlin." She said sweetly as she laid herself against him. Merlin was left with a single worry, that he'd have to take breathing lessons to keep the minx satisfied.

Merlin woke at first light, he had gotten used to waking up early and Morgana laid against him sleeping softly. He dare not move but neither did he want to, he wished every morning could be like that, so tranquil and perfect. A new day dawned and soon enough Arthur would be there with the knights, with him finally being king there was little hope of being able to postpone her waking up. But he underestimated the smile on her lips and in her eyes when she actually woke up. They had to get ready for when King would arrive, it was the bittersweet moment where they became Lady and servant again.

They returned the horse blanket to Hartigan and shortly after Merlin heard an animalistic roar. It was an educated guess that Arthur had arrived or could be seen arriving. What happened next was scary, it looked like the centaurs were taking up arms although it wasn't that surprising seeing their history with the King's father. Morgana pushed through the line of centaurs at the ridge of the camp, pulling Merlin along. The two of them walked towards the oncoming horses led by Arthur and Agravaine. The King stopped right in front of them with Gaius, twelve knights and a few guards or soldiers, Merlin couldn't quite tell which.  
"Merlin, still in one piece, I see." The King smiled as he dismounted. The manservant was about to respond only Hartigan stepped forward from the line of centaurs.  
"He has been most helpful, Sire, but I request the court physician's presence for one specific case." The Prime spoke with respect for the first time, something which did not go unnoticed by the King who nodded at Gaius in agreement. The court physician was led to Ilix and began his examination, meanwhile Arthur concerned himself with Morgana.  
"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Arthur asked.  
"They didn't have beds." Morgana complained overdramatic followed by a smile.  
"My Lady." Agravaine called her as he brought forth the spare horse they brought with them. Morgana was glad to be back in the saddle, the sooner the centaurs were on their way, the better. Gaius returned to the King's side and a short cry could be heard, it seemed Ilix had passed on to the next.  
"Where's _my _horse, Sire?" Merlin asked as Arthur got back on his.  
"You can lost your horse. You've got to _earn_ another one. You can ride with Gaius." Arthur told his manservant with far too big a smile on his face. Merlin was in a good mood and just did as he was told.

The journey to Nemeth was uneventful though there was a bit of ruckus when one of the knights called the centaurs 'glorified horses'. At the border stood about ten soldiers and Arthur ordered the knights and centaurs to stop. Hartigan, being the leader of his people, didn't listen and followed the King to the border.  
"You've received our message?" The King asked the men from Nemeth.  
"Yes, Sire, we are to escort the centaurs to the western isles." One of the men replied.  
"Thank you, King Arthur. It pleases me to see you are a man of your word." Hartigan cracked a smile. Arthur nodded in respect and ordered the knights to break formation, letting the centaurs follow Hartigan and be escorted further by Nemeth's men.

Once they had returned to Camelot, Gaius wanted a word with his ward.  
"Merlin, we need to talk." Gaius started the conversation.  
"Okay." Merlin replied a bit worried, he knew they'd have to talk eventually.  
"I shouldn't have criticized you about being Morgana's protector, especially since you've become good friends."  
"You were worried I might put myself at risk by telling her I have magic, I know."  
"I'm glad you understand."  
"But Gaius, I told her months ago, before she even knew she had magic." Merlin said it without fear for what the physician might say, what he thought of it, because to him she had proven her worth, she would be there if he needed her and he drew strength from that.  
"What?" Gaius exclaimed in disbelief.  
"I know you're against it but today she saved Arthur with magic. If she hadn't been there, he would've been dead." He explained calmly.  
"Don't lie to me, Merlin." Gaius almost lectured him.  
"I'm not!" Merlin replied and Gaius saw that darkness beneath the surface, only now he knew that darkness was actually protectiveness.  
"Alright, Merlin. I won't interfere with your duty but do be careful, if Arthur knew..." Gaius warned. _"If Uther knew, if Arthur knew, don't think I don't know, Gaius."_ Merlin thought.  
"I know and I will." Merlin replied.

* * *

**AN:**  
Inevitable Morgana but despite the implications, Merlin and Morgana have _not_ had sex yet though I must admit I was sorely tempted with writing smut. That's not going to happen for some time and when it does, it'll be 'T-Rated' smut... I know it's possible but I fear it'll become 'M'-rated (not the missing MA rating which I believe should be added).  
With Arthur's new responsibilities he can't adventure with Merlin as much as he used to and already Morgana is being pulled into them, more or less taking his place.  
I've played with the idea of adding Mithian in at the end but why would a Princess bother with soldiers and centaurs?  
In the next chapter you'll see two familiar faces and both of them will get what they deserve.


	7. The Cursed and the Corrupt

[AN: I modified this chapter by 1 (very important) character and hope it doesn't trigger an alert, sorry if it did.]

**The Cursed and the Corrupt**

It was a dark night and rain was pouring from the heavens as several men passed through the city gates along with a horse pulling a cage. The few peasants roaming the streets peered into the cage and spat in disgust knowing what they saw. The King was woken by the most faithful of his knights for a man, feared and renowne, demanded an audience with him. The Pendragons had always been on good terms with him, his father had told tales about his deeds during the purge, and the King would see him.

As Arthur walked down the corridor besides Sir Leon the words of an unfamiliar voice made him turn around and almost drew his sword.  
"Arthur Pendragon." The man was tall, his cloak betraying his wealth and the wrinkles on his forehead along with the receding hairline told of the wisdom he must have gathered over the years.  
"You must be Aredian, the Witchfinder. My father spoke highly of you." The King greeted him.  
"Without a doubt." Aredian replied with an air of arrogance. "But it seems that gone with him is Camelot's devotion to protect the people from magic."  
"Please, explain." The King spoke annoyed. Arthur wouldn't have minded being shown his mistakes but this man was arrogant and seemed to relished in the knowledge that his reputation allowed him to get away with it.  
"Your father had his men hunt sorcerers yet I have come upon none of them and found a witch instead." Aredian complained.  
"Which you will be rewarded for. I needed those men fo-" Arthur tried to explain he needed to compensate for the knights escorting his father, a former king would be but a man, only the Witchfinder did not let him finish that sentence.  
"But magic is everywhere, it's vile stench plagues your great nation like a disease and one by one you succumb to the taint and one by one you shall fall. Camelot is standing before the abyss in complete ignorance."  
"Then what would you have me do?" Arthur asked trying to stay calm, already the man was testing his patience.  
"Allow me to perform a thorough search of the city and, of course, the citadel." The Witchfinder stated.  
"And in exchange for your services?"  
"That what keeps us alive. Coin, a roof, thick walls and food."  
"Very well. This is Sir Leon, he's in charge of the knights and at your disposal." Arthur introducted the knight.  
"I trust he is a great warrior." Aredian replied.  
"And a great man." The King added.  
"So you won't be offended when I say that I shall have no need of you or your knights. The subtle craft of sorcery can only be fought by yet subtler means, methods honed over decades of study, methods known only to myself."  
"Leon, could you guide Aredian to one of the guests chambers?" Arthur said, ignoring the Witchfinder's earlier remark.  
"Yes, Sire."

Arthur watched the knight guide the Witchfinder and decided he might as well go back to bed. In the morning he was woken by the light of his life, Guinevere, the woman he hoped to marry someday.  
"Good morning." She spoke curtly.  
"And to you." He smiled.  
"Not quite." She spat but didn't explain. Judging by her tone of voice he knew that his 'good morning' was about to turn _very_ sour.  
"What's wrong?" He asked the dreaded question.  
"Well, you of all people should know." She blamed him for something but he didn't quite understand.  
"Know what?" Arthur asked.  
"Every single servant is being questioned by some Witchfinder, with _your_ permission." Gwen spoke emotionally. Arthur rubbed his temples in frustration, he hadn't expected Aredian to be _that_ thorough.  
"He brought up everything about my father, that he was a sorcerer and a traitor. But he wasn't!" The maid began to cry and Arthur  
"Oh Gwen, I'm so sorry." The King softly wrapped his arms around her, giving her a shoulder to cry on.

Merlin was late again and stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth as he put on his jacket.  
"Merlin, I want you to keep your magic to an absolute minimum." Gaius almost immediately lectured him. The warlock had expected _a_ lecture but not this one.  
"Why is that?" Merlin asked as he chewed with difficultly.  
"Last night a man arrived in Camelot, Aredian, better known as the Witchfinder. He brought a druid girl with him to collect a bounty on." The physician told him with the serious voice.  
"He's a bounty hunter?" Merlin asked concerned not for himself but for Morgana.  
"Not quite. He worked with Uther during the Purge and now he has convinced Arthur to take advantage of his services. He is a force to be reckoned with." Gaius explained.  
"You speak of him as if you know him." Merlin remarked and the disgusted smile on Gaius' face proved him right.  
"I met him during the darkest days of the Purge." Gaius spoke in a low voice laced with emotions from long ago, regret and sadness.  
"When?" Merlin wondered what Gaius meant by 'the darkest days' but the physician shook his head in denial.  
"I do believe you have a King to tend to." He evaded the question and Merlin got going.

Crossing the courtyard he came across something that had never been there before, a cage. And there was someone inside. Merlin sighed, it had to be the girl the Witchfinder had brought with him. Another innocent soul accused of witchcraft and she would be burned for being who she was. He approached the cage slowly, the girl seemed to be sleeping on a thin layer of hay with her face towards the bars. She wore a tattered dress and was covered in filth but the black hair framing her innocent face made him sad. He couldn't linger any longer and kept moving.

Opening the door of Arthur's chambers he saw him and Gwen lying on the bed, on top of the blankets, and the maid lay curled up in his arms. Although Merlin could only guess, he though Gwen must've been crying.  
"I'll go polish the armour." Merlin spoke softly and the King nodded in agreement. It seemed he wasn't the only one whose day began with a downer. The manservant went to Morgana's chambers and knocked before entering.  
"Morgana?" He asked as he entered the room. He could hear footsteps coming from behind one of the dressing screens.  
"Merlin." She sighed relieved and immediately wrapped her arms around him.  
"I guess you've heard about the Witchfinder." He chuckled.  
"When Gwen came here, crying. He was questioning people with Arthur's permission and harshly reminded her of what happened to her father. When she finally calmed down and stopped crying, she went to Arthur."  
"And he put a stop to it." Merlin concluded.  
"Only to the questioning, he's still going about doing god knows what."  
"Did you see the girl he brought with him?" Merlin asked.  
"I've tried not to look out the window. Poor girl." Morgana's window overlooked the courtyard in which the cage stood.  
"We could do something." Merlin suggested cautiously. Mordred was a success but not a very good one. They couldn't involve Arthur this time, he was king now, they'd have to do it all by themselves.  
"Like with the druid boy?" Morgana asked curiously.  
"Yes, only we'll have to act soon. I can hardly do anything once she's in the dungeon." He told her and a smile crept across her face.  
"You have no idea how much I love you right now." She replied as she took his hands in hers and stared at him longingly. They could stand like that for hours just looking at each other, no kissing involved. Instead they saved their kisses for when the sun had set and it was moderately safe to do so. During the day, servants other than Gwen had almost walked in on them. One time, they hadn't even noticed Gwen entering the room. Ever since that night with the centaurs, Morgana's kisses were a lot more intense. They had fallen deeply in love and by now Morgana even took her magic as a sign that they were meant to be together. Merlin knew there was a destiny in which they were sworn enemies but didn't tell her that.  
"Is that a yes?" He asked with a smile, already knowing the answer. They way things used to be, Morgana could only watch as the innocent burned at the stake. Now, with Merlin, things had come 'round and they could be saved even if it wasn't she that saved them.  
"It is. Just try not to get yourself into too much trouble."  
"I'll _try_." He kissed her cheek and left but the moment the door close, he opened it again.  
"Could you _tell_ Gwen to take the evening off? I kind of need it." Merlin asked, 'tell' and 'need' being the key word.  
"Sure, no problem." She smiled and, nodding gratefully, he left to polish Arthur's armour.

An hour later Gwen had returned to Morgana's side as if almost nothing had happened. They were headed for the market but as they walked down the steps of the castle, Morgana couldn't help but take a look at the prisoner. It infuriated that the Witchfinder had left her there as a trophy, as an example of what he called 'craftsmanship'. The girl in the cage was scared to death by the looks of it. She was curled up in the corner and the Lady could see how sad and lonely she was. Morgana looked at her with pity, she knew it could be her in there and Merlin would right this wrong soon enough.  
"I'm sorry." Were Morgana's first words. "You don't deserve this."  
The prisoner looked at her warily and kept quiet, she didn't know this person or what she wanted.  
"I hate seeing people like this, locked up just because they have magic." Morgana told her and still the girl didn't respond. The Lady took a look at the guards but they didn't seem to concern themselves with the sorceress in the cage. From a distance it would have looked like Morgana pulled out a handkerchief but in reality the handkerchief was wrapped around something else. She laid it inside the cage and took a step back, looking at the girl in the tattered dress with a reassuring smile. Slowly she moved towards the handkerchief and opening it revealed several slices of bread. Greedily the girl stuffed it in her mouth and Morgana couldn't help but smile at the sight of it.  
"I'm Morgana. What's your name?" She asked.  
"Freya." The girl answered.  
"Freya." Morgana repeated softly. "I'll be back, Freya."  
"Wait!" Freya called out and Morgana smiled to see her holding out the handkerchief. The Lady let her hands, both of them, gently wrap around Freya's stretched hand to take the neckerchief.  
"Thank you." Morgana said as she actually left. Whether it was the bread, the 'thank you', the gentle touch or the lack of fear to touch her, Freya was stunned.

Arthur entered the armoury surprisingly calm and already Merlin felt the urge to make a run for it.  
"Did Aredian _interrogate_ you?" Arthur asked cautiously and Merlin relaxed. Morgana had called it 'questioning' which led Merlin to believe Gwen might've called it 'interrogate' and told about it in some detail.  
"No." Merlin answered truthfully.  
"Then why were you late?" Arthur demanded to know without remorse, his mood flipped like a switch.  
"I fear for Gaius." Merlin tried to steer the conversation away from his negligence but that didn't make his words any less true.  
"Why, what happened?" The King took the bait.  
"Before the Purge, he was a sorcerer. I fear Aredian might try something now that Uther is no longer here to vouch for him." Merlin explained.  
"Father told me about Gaius' past. Unlike the witch in the square, I won't take his word for it." Arthur reassured him.  
"I also spoke with Morgana about Gwen. Maybe she shouldn't attend supper with Aredian being there and all that." Merlin stated and he hoped the King would agree.  
"Yes, just make sure she gets home safely." Arthur told him and soon the carried on with their daily routine.

The afternoon was spent without any irregularities and when the sun began to set, it was time for supper. Gwen had already been dismissed and Merlin had a job to do.  
"Gwen, wait up!" He called as he left the castle.  
"Is something wrong?" Gwen asked.  
"No, I just thought you might like some company."  
"Did Arthur put you up to this?" Gwen asked with a raised eyebrow, disturbingly alike Gaius'.  
"What gave you that idea?" Merlin asked sanctimoniously.  
"_Mer_lin." She warned him.  
"Alright, fine. He wanted me to make sure you got home safely."  
"I was feeling miserable, that's all. I'm not ill or crippled." Gwen countered but Merlin didn't let go that easily.  
"Still, Arthur-"  
"Merlin!" She warned him incredulous. "If Arthur asks, I'll tell him you walked me home. But you're NOT walking me home." Merlin chuckled, of course Gwen would cover for him and it was exactly what he was counting on.

Meanwhile the King was dining with the Witchfinder, Morgana and his uncle of which the Lady wasn't at ease at all.  
"Again, I insist that my inquiries were necessary." Aredian nagged.  
"You were _questioning _the staff, unannounced and effectively disrupting the entire castle." Arthur repeated his earlier words.  
"Along with any sorcerers amongst them." Aredian arrogantly added.  
"Perhaps it might help if the Witchfinder were to cast light on his findings thus far." Agravaine tried to mediate.  
"I have... suspects but I wasn't able to question them the way I had planned."  
"You mean harshly and without remorse." Morgana spat and Agravaine sighed. The King's advisor knew that Morgana and Aredian would never get along but he had hoped that the Lady would remain passive rather than jump on every ill word.  
"Sorcerers deserve no more than that." Aredian smiled and Morgana's nails dug into her skin to prevent that energy from lashing out.

Merlin was still outside and taking a last look at the sentries on the walls before chanting the words of the Old Religion.  
_"Bene læg gesweorc." _A thick fog covered the courtyard and spilled onto the lower town. Merlin had to act quickly and cast a spell to open the cage as he ran towards he. He climbed inside as the door flung open and scared Freya so much that she fell on her back. The warlock held out his hand above the handcuffs and chanted.  
_"Unspanne thas maegth!"_ He chanted and they fell to the floor. Merlin moved back a bit and motioned for her to follow.  
"Come on, we haven't much time." He urged her and she followed him out of the cage. They went into one of the guard towers and down the stairs to the waterworks. Merlin had thought about bringing her to Morgana's chamber but Arthur's involvement with the last druid they had helped might not allow it to happen.  
"Why are you doing this?" She asked as he pulled her along through endless corridors. The warlock came to a halt and turned towards her. "Helping me?" She clarified.  
"Because we're alike. It could've been me in there." He explained with recognition in his eyes. Merlin sighed and continued. "You'll be safe here, at least until I can get you out of Camelot."  
She was staring into nothingness. For days she had been kept locked up in a basement with no way out. During the day they sometimes passed food through the door but they were scraps. Then came the Witchfinder and the basement was exchanged for a cage. She got fed a bit more but that was it, soon she would be sold for coin. And now she was free, almost free. No locked doors, no prison bars, just insecurity. The sudden hand on her back scared the living daylights out of her and she saw Merlin recoil with his hands around his jacket, she hadn't even noticed him taking it off.  
"I'm sorry. I just thought you might be cold." He said as he slowly held it out in front of him. She felt a bit guilty about scaring him like that and took his jacket, it was quite chilly underground.  
"I'm Merlin." He smiled at her and Freya considered the situation she was in. Over time she had seen many faces, most of them so very wrong. Fake smiles, wicked grins, she had seen them all and all of them were _keen_ to help her. Pains, marks and bruises would remember her of them. But Merlin's smile was genuine and there was emotion in his eyes she thought lost to the world.  
"Freya." She replied and his smile widened a bit.  
"I have to go now but I'll be back in the morning." He said and slowly retreated.  
"Thank you." Freya almost forgot about that. Lack of decent human contact was to blame for it. Merlin showed her another smile and she couldn't quite place it. But it felt right.

The bickering between Morgana and Aredian didn't last very long thanks to the King but the Witchfinder couldn't help but revisit the topic they discussed earlier.  
"Since you are so keen on protecting your staff. I want to investigate Gaius' chambers." Aredian stated.  
"No, not without evidence." Arthur promptly denied the Witchfinder's request. Morgana's lips curled to a slight smile.  
"Before the Purge, Gaius was a sorcerer. That should be evidence enough." The Witchfinder arrogance showed once more, taking so much pride in secrets he knew and using them.  
"Gaius has renounced magic and served this house with honour ever since." Arthur countered and Aredian's face grew annoyed. At that moment one of the knights entered the room, Sir Leon, and came to halt before the table.  
"The witch has escaped from the cage, Sire." Sir Leon reported and Arthur cursed silently.  
"Search the lower town and put the lookouts on alert, she can't have gone far." The King ordered and the knight went back to work. As the doors closed Agravaine turned to his King.  
"Arthur." Agravaine looked at him thoughtfully. The girl's escape didn't leave him much choice. Now that it was confirmed there was a sorcerer on the loose, they had to eliminate the physician as a suspect. Arthur sighed, he hated it but his uncle was right.  
"You have my permission to search his chambers, _nothing more_." Arthur emphasized the last two words. The Witchfinder immediately got up, not even finishing supper, and Arthur and Morgana followed him along with a few guards. Agravaine hadn't expected any of it and had trouble getting up from his chair and lagged behind.

Aredian barged into the physician's chambers, disturbing Gaius' own supper, and the guards began their search.  
"What is the meaning of this?" Gaius demanded to know.  
"We are to search your chambers for any sign of magic." He replied with an eerie voice. Arthur and Morgana caught up with the Witchfinder.  
"There's nothing here, Aredian." Arthur tried to reassure the slightly shocked physician.  
"Check for hollow legs, behind tapestries and inside jars!" Aredian barked and the guards began to make a mess of things.  
"What's going on?" Merlin exclaimed, returning from freeing Freya.  
"And where were you just now?" Aredian immediately questioned him.  
"Walking Gwen home because she couldn't stomach the sight of you." Merlin sneered.  
"I ordered him to." Arthur seconded his manservant's claim. Aredian nodded slowly and turned back to the guards ransacking the chamber.  
"Sire!" One of them called and came over and held out a bracelet. Aredian didn't hesitate and seized it.  
"A bracelet of enchantment but to whom does it belong?" The Witchfinder loved to make people suffer in whatever way he could, to make himself feel superior.  
"Me." Gaius told him and with a mere nod the soldiers took hold of the court physician. Merlin stepped forward and wanted to intervene but Arthur and Morgana each grabbed an arm and held him back against the wall. The lanky manservant was a lot stronger than he looked and was struggling heavily. Morgana feared he might use his magic and whispered in his ear, begging him not to do anything rash. The warlock let the words touch him and lost strength. They could keep him still as Gaius was escorted past him but barely hold him when Aredian followed. With the Witchfinder out of sight they finally let go of Merlin and he threw another jar at the wall in frustration before sitting down at Gaius' bench and cried.  
"I'll stay with Merlin." Arthur said but Morgana shook her head.  
"I'll stay, he might go visit Gwen next." Morgana countered and Arthur's eyes grew wide.  
"Good point." He replied and left Morgana with the manservant. The Lady closed the door and sat down next to him, putting an arm around him.  
"He's going to be alright. We'll save him." Morgana said in hopes of comforting him.  
"_I _did this. If I hadn't released Freya, they wouldn't have had cause." He sobbed.  
"Arthur will see it's just a bracelet, he'll be forgiven." Morgana told him and he could have faith in that. Sorcery was banished and enchanted items forbidden, hopefully Arthur would see reason.  
"How is Freya?" Morgana asked.  
"Scared but otherwise fine. She's in the waterworks below the castle. I couldn't get her out of Camelot at once."  
"We'll get her out first. Gwen and I can stall Arthur and maybe even Aredian." She told him but Merlin looked at her with fright in his eyes.  
"Please, leave Aredian alone. I don't want to lose you too." His eyes begged her not to do it and she agreed she wouldn't. Once Merlin was in control of his emotions again he told her to go.

After that the warlock went down to the dungeons to visit his guardian, one of the rare times he would be able to call upon that right.  
"I'm so sorry." Merlin whispered through prison bars.  
"It's alright, Merlin." Gaius replied as he laid a hand on his ward's shoulder.  
"What does it even do, the bracelet?" Merlin asked curiously. Gaius must've had a reason for keeping it.  
"How should I know? You've never shown it to me." Gaius argued.  
"Show it to you? I didn't even know you had the bloody thing." Merlin countered incredulous.  
"Me? I thought it was yours." Then Merlin's eyes widened, they had been played. Aredian or some low-paid servant had put it there for him to find.  
"He's planted it there." Merlin reasoned.  
"Merlin, listen to me. Don't retaliate, that's exactly what he wants." Gaius tried to keep his ward from doing anything stupid but there was no stopping the warlock once his mind was set on it.  
"I'm not going to idly stand by and watch you burn." Merlin replied and left his guardian without another word. Already a plan was forming inside his head but he wouldn't be able to pull it off alone. Tomorrow he would tell Morgana but first he had to get some sleep. In bed he went through the scenario time and again, he knew exactly where to put the pieces to make it work. Aredian might've been clever but he lacked imagination, something Merlin had, something magic required. The Witchfinder would have to divide his attention between two tasks. Finding Freya and finding the other sorcerer. Gaius might have been imprisoned but that didn't make him the latter. Aredian wouldn't have much time to spend in the castle and he didn't have anyone reliable to help him, let alone someone with magic.

The sound of the warning bells woke Merlin and he quickly got dresses, the prat's life might be in danger. The warlock was about to leave when the door of the physician's chambers, now more or less his chambers, opened to reveal the King.  
"It's not Gaius." Arthur thought it wise to start with that. "But something happened in the lower town and I doubt you'll like it." The warlock followed his King to the sight of a man and a woman who laid dead on the floor. Merlin did indeed sigh at the horrid scene. To make matters worse, Aredian was there as well.  
"You're letting a boy do a man's job?" The Witchfinder taunted them. With Gaius imprisoned, it had now become Merlin's job to examine unnatural deaths when the guard couldn't deal with it.  
"Found any witches yet, old man?" Merlin countered and Aredian glared at him.  
"Is that how you let your manservant talk to people?" The Witchfinder turned to Arthur but the King didn't care about the Witchfinder's feelings, if he even had them.  
"Not if you were a knight or a lord. But you're neither." Arthur replied. With all the trouble the Witchfinder had brought with him, Arthur was glad to have gotten the opportunity to put him in his place.  
"I'll spare you the details but whatever did this was big and it wasn't human." Merlin stated since the bodies were obviously mauled.  
"Now do you see what horror magic has brought to your once great city?" Aredian ranted.  
"Have it your way, Aredian, I _demand _you find this creature and kill it." Arthur told him.  
"I will." Aredian countered but for a moment the Witchfinder's usually so confident gaze faltered. He had pushed the King too far. In Aredian's mind, Arthur was supposed to lead the hunt with his knights, not command him to do it instead. Aredian left without even taking another look at the body. Merlin took a few notes and asked Arthur if he could investigate on his own. Not all too surprisingly, Arthur let him. It wasn't that he didn't like Aredian but rather that Merlin had proven himself long ago with Knight Valiant, the Afanc and the haunting.

#Merlin went back to the castle but didn't immediately investigate the murder. He entered the room without knocking and walked in on a very startled Morgana, who was still in her nightgown. She held her hand on her chest and sighed.  
"For a moment there I thought you were Aredian." She said.  
"He's a fraud." Merlin said but only got a very confused frown from the Lady.  
"Aredian, He's a fraud. The bracelet he found belongs to neither of us." Merlin explained.  
"But why, why would he do that?" Morgana asked incredulous. A Witchfinder by itself was bad enough, a corrupt Witchfinder would be worse.  
"He and Gaius have a history but I think it's more than that. I think he doesn't even care if someone's a sorcerer as long as he can get them to confess. After Gaius it'll be someone else's turn."  
"Gwen." Morgana answered, she dreaded to think what might happen to her maid once he was done with Gaius.  
"There's something else as well."  
"What?" Morgana asked holding her breath.  
"I have to move Freya, there's a magical creature somewhere in the lower town. If it's hiding in the waterworks..."  
The door opened and Arthur entered.  
"Merlin, why are you here with Morgana in her nightgown?" Arthur asked.  
"At least _he_ knocked, Arthur Pendragon, which is more than I can say for you." Morgana scolded him but was rudely ignored as the King went to the back of the room and pushed aside the curtains behind which they had hidden Mordred in the past.  
"Really, Arthur?" Morgana asked unimpressed.  
"Had to be sure." He mumbled and turned back to Merlin. "Now why are _you_ in _her_ chambers?"  
"She asked me if I could substitute for Gwen but with what happened in the lower town, I no longer can." Merlin explained and Arthur raised his brows. It was a fair explanation that they wanted to take some pressure off of Gwen. It also helped that the King cared enough for Gwen to make him _want_ to believe it.  
"Right." He answered, Arthur didn't do 'sorry', and left the sorcerers alone. Morgana was about to speak when the door opened, again, and Gwen entered with breakfast and a 'good morning'.  
"Merlin, you'll have to tell him some day." Gwen said and the warlock in question frowned.  
"I'm not going to _be_ your excuse forever." She clarified and he chuckled.  
"Not too soon I hope, I didn't plan on dying young." He joked and Morgana began kissing him for no reason, not that he was complaining.  
"I'll let you have your fun, I do believe Arthur hasn't had breakfast yet." And with that Gwen left as well. Morgana broke the kiss and robbed Merlin of his neckerchief.  
"What are you- Oh." He was about to ask until it became obvious when she laid it out and put part of her breakfast on it.  
"Arthur has checked my room, you could bring her here." She stated. He didn't really want to bring another druid in her room and risking her life, especially now the Witchfinder roamed Camelot, but it would probably be the safest place in the castle.

Leaving the room Merlin heard someone call his name, Agravaine.  
"Yes, milord?" Merlin asked. he hoped this wouldn't take too long would be starving and when desperation would strike, she would surface to look for food.  
"Arthur told me you and the Wtchfinder were investigating the murder in the lower town, separately."  
"Usually Gaius would investigate but since he's not here..." Merlin trailed off.  
"I understand. I've spoken with several residents around the scene of the crime. There was a lead but Arthur doesn't want me to investigate any further." Agravaine explained. It was understandable though. There were already two people investigating the murders, his servant and an 'expert', he couldn't let his advisor investigate as well. The man's qualities were much better put to use elsewhere.  
"I'm not fond of the Witchfinder and neither are Arthur or the Lady Morgana, so I'm telling only you. One of the residents said the creature had wings but it wasn't a bird. It would explain the lack of footprints." Agravaine shared his thoughts and ideas.  
"It also greatly narrows down the possibilities." Merlin nodded though there were other things on his mind. "Thank you, milord."  
"Merlin," Agravaine called him back. "Solve this murder before Aredian, make Arthur doubt him and he'll doubt his judgement. With a bit of luck he might release your guardian."  
Merlin could only nod, words and promises could do nothing for Gaius right now. There were too many things at stake and right now someone's life might still be in danger.

Magic lightened the warlock's torch and he walked down the narrow passage leading to the tunnels. Freya was there where he had left her but she seemed even more scared than when he sprung her from the dungeon. She was backed into a corner and clinging onto his jacket for dear life.  
"Freya, are you alright?" He reached out to her but it seemed to frighten her even more. Merlin sighed at feeling so useless for not being able to make her feel more at ease. He took out the food that was Morgana breakfast, which she had told him to give her, and laid it out in front of her.  
"It's for you, you must be hungry." Merlin explained and Freya dug in as if it could be taken away from her any moment.  
"It's good." She remarked, making Merlin smile as she was finally talking again.  
"Courtesy of Morgana." He told her and immediately she stared at him.  
"Does she know I'm here?" She asked worried. Morgana might've provided her food before but that didn't make her any trustworthy.  
"More or less." Merlin admitted.  
"Do you trust her? Does she know you have magic?" Freya might have come off as a bit paranoid but she didn't want to go back in the cage either.  
"She's helped me before, to get a druid boy out of Camelot." He smiled.  
"Emrys?" She asked in awe.  
"You've heard of me?" Merlin asked surprised and Freya nodded heavily. His _question_ made her trust him. Anyone other than Emrys might've thought she meant the boy.  
"That you're selfless and risked your life to save a druid."  
"Is he well?" Merlin asked. He always did wonder what had become of him.  
"He's alive but other than that I wouldn't know. We weren't in the same camp and I didn't ask."  
Merlin wasn't disappointed, he knew the chances were slim.  
"Let's go, we can't keep you here." He said as he held out his hand. Right now she wasn't safe underground, not while no one knew what creature had attacked. She took his hand but seemed a bit frightened when they walked up familiar stairs.  
"Where are you taking me?" Freya whispered, the castle was the last place she wanted to be.  
"Trust me." He told her and she did although doubt burdened her greatly. In the castle they moved around the outer walls and around the corner Merlin saw Sir Leon heading towards them. Freya was still behind him and out of sight and they moved back, into a nook. The Knight passed them by without suspicion and they came out of hiding.

They reached the door and Merlin hoped, prayed that Gwen wouldn't be around. Turning the handle and opening the door, Merlin almost closed his eyes. She was alone, thank the heavens, she was alone. Freya froze at the sight of Morgana and would've run out the door had Merlin not closed it.  
"What are you doing? Why are we here?" Freya asked so very frightened.  
"It's alright." Merlin tried to reassure her.  
"With a strange creature in the lower town, we thought it better to hide you here." Morgana explained.  
"But you're the _Lady _Morgana, you're almost the King's sister." Freya argued rather bewildered.  
"Not that you'd notice." Merlin joked.  
"Freya," Morgana spoke as she brushed aside the stray hair from the girl's face "you're safer here. It's even warmer here."  
The Lady Morgana walked to the back of the room and slid aside the curtains behind which they had hidden Mordred. She had made the same arrangements for Freya as she had done for Mordred. It wasn't as long as she was but she wouldn't mind. She could hardly remember the last thing she had slept on anything close to a proper bed. Freya sat down on the sheets and smiled as her fingers dug into the fabric. Luxury compared to her usual sleeping spots.  
"Freya, we want to help you get home. But where is home?"  
"My home was next to a lake surrounded by the tallest mountains. In the winter the storms whipped up the water into waves and you thought they were going to crash down and take away all the houses. But in the summer, wild flowers and light. It was like heaven."  
"Sounds wonderful." Morgana shared her dream.  
"It was." Freya smiled.  
"Was?" Merlin asked and Freya's smile faded away.  
"My family died." She answered, her voice filled with emotion.  
"And you've been on your own ever since." Merlin sympathised and Morgana took her hand.  
"I lost my parents when I was young." Morgana could relate and it took Merlin by surprise. They never talked about her parents. "Uther took me in and for years I hated him. I didn't want him, I wanted my parents back. I cried night after night and blamed him for everything. I learned to care for him and to be grateful for what he's done for me but sometimes I still hated him, when he was unfair or cruel. Thankfully I found friends that made it bearable. But these last couple of months have been the best in my life." Morgana smiled at Merlin who was completely flabbergasted. That was why Morgana had been so playful when they were alone, she was happy, she no longer had to fear for Uther.  
"You found someone to be happy with." Freya wasn't blind, the looks they just exchanged hadn't gone unnoticed.  
"We're going to make things right, Freya." Morgana assured her and backed away to talk with Merlin in private.

"If we got rid of Aredian then we could help Freya properly." Merlin tried to prioritize.  
"That reminds me, I found a bracelet exactly like the one in Gaius' chambers." Morgana said and took it out of the nightstand.  
"I know exactly how we can use that. Meet me in Gaius' chambers tonight." Merlin said and Morgana nodded in agreement. If she hadn't known better, she'd almost say he was excited.  
"Now I really have to go. That thing might still be out there." Merlin gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left.

He spent most of the day with his nose in his books, bestiaries, old scrolls. No wonder Gaius need glasses, all this reading was giving him a headache. There were several creatures that matched Agravaine's lead.

Harpy, human but with claws instead of hands and feet.  
Griffin, body of a lion and wings of an eagle.  
Wyvern, distant relatives of the dragons of about the size of a dog.  
Gargoyle, hideous and agressive statues.  
Bastet, part of a curse that turns the cursed into a bloodthirsty beast during the night.

Harpies were unlikely, they were humanoid like the centaurs and would've been brought to his and Arthur's attention.  
Griffins were huge and hostile, outlying villages would've been terrorised long ago.  
Cornelius Sigan command gargoyles, the people knew the name of the dreaded creatures so it couldn't be them either.

It would be either a Wyvern or a Bastet. _If _what the witness said held true, otherwise it could be almost anything.

The door opened and in came Morgana, just like he hoped she would.  
"How is she?" Merlin asked.  
"Sleeping. I didn't want to leave her alone in fear."  
Merlin got the spell book from his room and laid it open on the table. She took a look at the spell on the page, an illusion spell. He helped her practice for a couple of minutes and things went according to plan. He would distract Aredian while she would plant the spell and the evidence. A scream tore the air of what should have been a peaceful night. Merlin was certain the beast had struck again and they were close to it already.  
"Aredian will investigate, it has to be now!" Merlin pressed as they left the physician's chambers and made for the courtyard. Morgana went back into the castle while he headed for the gate leading to the lower town. Moonlight peering through the clouds revealed the creature to his eyes. Winged, black as the night and bearing fangs. The Bastet. Merlin kept his distance in an attempt to keep it calm but the guards sounded the alarm bells and it roared in anger. The beast flapped its wings and soared through the air before disappearing into the lower town.

Merlin turned to the victim, thankfully it had been only one. Blood was flowing still and turning him around made Merlin's heart jump. Aredian, the Witchfinder, dead. The warlock didn't feel any sadness or even pity for the man. In fact, it almost made him smile. An ironic smile since Morgana was planting evidence in his chambers. The guards had left in search of the beast and now Arthur ran down the road to see what was going on.  
"Merlin... You must be joking." The King's voice was filled with disbelief.  
"There's nothing I can do for him." Merlin replied and it wasn't a lie.  
"The Knights and I will go through his chambers, see if there's anything useful we can use." Arthur turned around and went back to the castle.  
"I'll take care of him." Merlin mumbled as his thoughts wandered back to Morgana, hoping she would be done by now.

Morgana closed the door to Aredian's chambers behind her and walked down the corridor with a proud smile on her face. They'd get Arthur to go through his things the next morning and then he'd be gone from Camelot. Then she and Merlin could take care of Freya, she would finally be safe. Her happy thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps, wiping the smile from her face completely. She thought it might be Aredian along with a couple of guards but instead it were Arthur and two of the knights.  
"Arthur? What happened?" She immediately asked.  
"Aredian is dead." He replied. Morgana raised her brows in surprise and he explained as the knights passed him by. "The creature killed him and we hope something from his room might help us find it."  
Arthur went to the knights in Aredian's room with Morgana following suit. _"Methods honed over decades of study, methods known only to myself."_ The Witchfinder's words still rang through his head.  
"Look for anything that might help us. Books, tools, anything that might help us find the creature." Arthur commanded. Contrary to the guards, the Knights did not ransack the place. Morgana was biting on her lip in anticipation of what they would find. There was an urge to shout '_there_' or '_check the cupboard_'. Luckily Arthur was too busy looking to notice the big, anxious eyes of his father's ward. Then, finally, the cupboard opened.  
"Arthur." Sir Leon called him, holding up three identical 'bracelets of enchantment'.  
"Gods." Arthur cursed. "Free Gaius and bring him to his chambers. We've been duped."

Merlin had no respect for the Witchfinder's corpse whatsoever and dumped it in the first shallow grave he could find. He had more important things to do than burying the body of the man who imprisoned his guardian. He went back to the castle and rushed up the stairs, heading for Morgana's room, when he heard her voice calling him a floor lower than he had expected. He rushed over to her but tonight not even the bright smile on her face could lift his spirits.  
"Aredian's a fraud." She said haughty and was about to tell him Gaius would soon be released when he interrupted her.  
"Please tell me Freya is still in your room."  
"She should be sleeping... unless the alarm bells woke her." Morgana gulped.  
"It's not the alarm bells I'm worried about." He said as he ran up the stairs with Morgana right behind him. Looking behind the curtain in her room, Freya was gone. Only the girl's dress was still there and Morgana began checking her closet to see which of her dresses had gone missing. Merlin picked up the discarded, tattered dress and turned to Morgana.  
"Everything is still here." The Lady spoke confused. The thought that she ran off naked did seem a bit crazy but the girl wasn't in the most stable situation to begin with.  
"She's cursed." Merlin stated.  
"Sorry?"  
"She's a Bastet. At night she turns into the creature that's been plaguing the lower town only she can't help it." He explained and Morgana's frowns curled in frustration. Why couldn't a plan run its course without hiccups just this once?  
"I think I know where she is." Merlin said as he folded the tattered dress to take with him.  
"If what you say is true, then she might attack you." Morgana warned him.  
"It doesn't last that long. By now she should be Freya again." And with those words he left the room.

Merlin went back underground and she was exactly where he had hid her the first time. She sat with her bare back against the cold wall, clutching her knees.  
"I think you might need this." He startled her but she didn't shy away from him and took her dress from his hand.  
"You shouldn't being helping me. I don't deserve your kindness." She said as he turned has back to her so she could get dressed.  
"Why? Because you think you can't change who you are?" Merlin asked.  
"You know?" Freya asked amazed. "Why aren't you scared of me?"  
"Because we're going to put things right." Merlin spoke matter-of-factly.  
"You can't. Not even the druids could help me." She countered and he turned around again.  
"Freya, do I look like a druid to you?"  
"No." She looked down fiddling with her hands and he put his around hers to calm her.  
"Then trust me when I say you're going to be alright." He looked at her with the same innocent eyes as when they first talked like decent people. She nodded and he took her back to Morgana's room with little problem, all the guards were looking for the Bastet in the lower town.

With Freya in Morgana's capable hands Merlin went to visit an old friend. He too was underground.  
"Hello again, young warlock." Kilgharrah greeted him as he landed on his usual rock.  
"I need your help." Merlin didn't want to ask the dragon but he had to put his pride aside, for Freya's sake.  
"The Witchfinder is no magical creature, Merlin, I see not why I have to be involved."  
"He's been dealt with, I'm more concerned about the one who did it."  
The dragon cocked his head in curiosity and Merlin took it as a 'go on'.  
"A druid girl, Freya, killed him under the curse of the Bastet." He explained.  
"A Bastet, fascinating, I thought such magic lost with the purge." The dragon wondered in the wrong direction.  
"I need to know how to lift it." Merlin spoke plainly in contrast to the Kilgharrah's riddles.  
"And why should I tell you?" The dragon's selfish nature reared its ugly head once more.  
"This has nothing to do with us, she deserves to be free. She might not have wanted to kill him but in doing so she's protected so many others, including you. Had he known about you, your death would've been just another step in his glorification." Merlin reasoned. Was it truth or was it a lie? The Great Dragon could no longer see the future like he used to and Merlin could only hope this wasn't part of the future he had seen before. To the Great Dragon Merlin's words spoke wisdom and an unexpected truth.  
"From the day of dusk to the day of dawn she must remain humane." Riddles again and he flew away like the coward he was.  
"That's not an answer, you know she can't! Make sense, just this once!" Merlin shouted angrily but the dragon did not return.

_"Did you hear? The Witchfinder is dead!"_  
Freya could hear the castle servants gossiping but she knew this was more than idle gossip. The druid girl tried to remember, little remained of her venture outside. It had become a haze, a blur, and it was difficult to tell who she had seen at the time. But she knew, she knew she had killed him. She was a danger to herself and absolutely everyone around her and tonight would be no different. She already knew what was going to happen. Morgana would be in bed, asleep, and she would change with the full moon. The red haze would blur the lines and she would wake up on blood-stained sheets. It couldn't happen, she would have to leave Camelot and not waste anymore time. The druids couldn't help her and neither could they. She would leave right now before they would come back and coax her to stay. She got up and left Morgana's room. Freya tried to get back to the waterworks by following the route she and Merlin had taken. Then, a wrong turn scared the life out of her.  
"Halt! In the name of the King!"

* * *

**AN:**

Cliffhanger!

I didn't want to rewrite an episode but it didn't feel right to leave Freya out either, so I thought the least I could do was mix thing up a bit and have her kill Aredian :) .


	8. Moonlight Part 1

**Moonlight (Part 1)**

Merlin went back to the physician's chambers and teared up at the sight of his guardian sitting at his bench with his reading glasses on.  
"Gaius!" He exclaimed as he ran at the old physician and hugged him before the poor man even got a chance to stand up.  
"It's good to see you too." Gaius chuckled.  
"How are you?" Merlin asked.  
"Fine. I heard you were investigating an unnatural death. Do you know what creature it was?"  
"I..." Merlin didn't want to say it was a bastet and that the cursed girl was Freya, Gaius would lecture him on the spot. "I need to know what the _day of dawn_ and the _day of dusk_ are." Whether it made sense or not, if Kilgharrah's riddle could lift the curse then he would do his best to solve it.  
"Dawn and dusk... Two states of twilight." Gaius mused and it made just a little bit of sense now, the Bastet was a creature of twilight. "One brings the sun, the other the moon." Gaius further mused and Merlin mentally face palmed himself, it was the most obvious riddle of all! The day of Dawn, the _day_ that brings the _sun_, literally _SunDay_. That would make dusk, moon, Monday. The dragon said 'from the day of dusk to the day of dawn' which now translated 'from Monday to Sunday'. It was hardly a riddle since he asked the dragon less than an hour ago, did the dragon do it just to spite him? So they had to keep her human from Monday to Sunday, it seemed impossible and if the dragon had lied to him, it would not go unanswered. Merlin left the room in a hurry, leaving behind a bewildered Gaius. It was great, wonderful news that he knew how to help Freya... sort of. He couldn't wait to tell her and as he went up the stairs, someone else came down. Morgana.

"Morgana, I've-" But she didn't let him finish, the smile on his face told her that he didn't know.  
"The guards caught Freya wandering the corridor." She interrupted him. His smile turned upside down, the blood left his face and he was at a loss for words. They had worked so hard and had gotten so close but now she was in the dungeons and saving her would become near impossible. Morgana passed him by and he followed her automatically, both knew where they would go next. Morgana tried to use her authority but to no avail.  
"I'm sorry my Lady but you are not allowed to visit the prisoner." The guard stated.  
"I am Lady Morgana Pendragon, I'm his father's ward, not some petty diplomat." She countered angrily but the guard wouldn't budge.  
"My Lady, I am sorry. The King explicitly ordered that not even you are to have access." Merlin had never before seen Morgana so offended in her life. First Arthur checked her room for the druid girl who wasn't there and still he decided she was forbidden to see the prisoner. She glared at him and went back up the stairs with Merlin following suit.  
"What do we do?" She asked him in private.  
"I... I don't know. I find a way to cure her and this happens." He groaned. Morgana asked about sneaking the cure without knowing what it was. He explained and they parted before they would run into Arthur and arouse suspicion. Merlin went to the throne room to try and think of some elaborate scheme so she could escape. Time went by, people went by, guards were relieved from duty and the familiar faces of other servants began to roam the castle. She would be sitting right there, right in front of Arthur and Morgana.

Gwen had asked Morgana to be excused from duties until after the trial. The Lady of Camelot did not mind and truth was she was glad her maid had asked. In her room, Morgana kept lighting and dousing the fireplace with her magic. Her magic would calm her like smoking would calm smokers. Merlin might scold her if he saw, magic was still banned, but there was more at stake. What would she say when court was in session, could she influence judgement? The girl had done nothing wrong, the beast inside her was not her fault. None would curse themselves. Freya had to live, there had to be another way.

The bells rang and it was time for Freya's judgement. Morgana rushed down the stairs to meet the jailer and Freya before they entered the throne room.  
"Could you give us a moment?" Morgana asked the same man that refused her visit before.  
"She is to see the King, milady." Was he really _that _thick? It was the god-forsaken reason she wanted to talk with her.  
"It'll only be a moment, just a few words in private." The Lady spoke with a forced smile. Self-restraint wasn't her strong suit but biting his head off wouldn't solve anything at this point.  
"Very well, milady, but I'll be keeping an eye on her." The jailer finally caved and moved aside but not too far, he was even clever enough to move closer to the exit so she wouldn't really be able to make her escape. But that wasn't what Morgana was after. Merlin might have a plan, probably a brilliant one, and she wasn't going to ruin things for them.  
"Merlin knows how to cure you, just hang on and we'll help you." Morgana whispered. Freya's eyes doubled in size but didn't have time to respond. With Morgana straightening her back, the jailor believed their conversation was over and pushed Freya forwards. Morgana went down another corridor to enter the throne room from the opposite side for political correctness. She took her seat besides King Arthur and sought her lover's eyes. Merlin wasn't at ease, he didn't have a plan yet and neither did she, the realisation made her heart ache with the druid girl's fate hanging by a thread.

"Bring her in." The King's voice spoke with power and Morgana gulped in suspense, so much in her wanted to shout out that it was wrong while the trial was yet to begin. The doors opened and a very frightened Freya was brought in by two guards. She was forced to her knees and the poor girl didn't even dare raise her head to look at him. Arthur stood up from his throne and approached her. It was only now that Morgana noticed the King was carrying a sword.  
"What is your name?" Arthur asked as he came to a halt right before her. She slowly looked up from his boots and into the blue eyes of the King.  
"Freya... Sire." She answered and immediately looked down again. Arthur took a few steps back to have a better view of those present.  
"There is no trial." The King spoke and here and there were whispers. Arthur ignored them and pressed on. "How can you call anything a trial if there is but one outcome?"  
Morgana didn't see what he getting at, the point he was trying to make. Merlin was struggling with the same problem.  
"Under my father's rule, those accused of sorcery were be burned at the stakes. " The King kept talking. Merlin cringed, Arthur had always been so desperate to live up to his father's expectations. Those who took their eyes of the King might have seen the Lady Morgana's features grow dark and angry. How could he be so much like Uther? He had helped a druid boy escape and now the sanctimonious bastard changed his mind?!  
"Freya has been accused of sorcery, but by whom? The late Witchfinder, Aredian, was a fraud." The King had not yet spoken publicly about the rumours in the lower town and now he confirmed them, both his death and that he was a fraud. The King went down on one knee so he could look the young woman in the eye.  
"Freya, " The King spoke surprisingly soft and cautiously she looked at him. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. I let my father's stories about the Witchfinder cloud what should've been clear from the very beginning. Aredian spoke of you having magic and that was all I saw, something you were not. What I should have seen, what I see now, is that you are afraid." Arthur stood up again and directed his words to those present, once more.  
"As King, it is my duty to ensure the wellbeing of my people, yet I have wronged you so. I falsely imprisoned you and, had you not escaped, you would've been burned for it."

They weren't Arthur's original thoughts on the matter but he always did have people guiding him from the shadows. Morgana had always steered him to be less like his father, Merlin helped him to be just and they had been through a lot together. But Neither of them had affected his judgement in this particular case, it was the voice he valued above all others.

_"You can't execute her!" She said as she stormed into his room.  
"Sorry? What?" He asked confused.  
"Arthur, you can't execute her for being a sorceress when you're not even sure she is!"  
"Guinevere," Oh, she hated it when he called her that. "she escaped in broad daylight." Arthur argued.  
"That doesn't make her a sorceress. Aredian was a fraud, what makes you believe you can trust him about her?" She asked incredulous.  
"How else did she escape?"  
"With help and you should be glad, if she hadn't then you would've executed an innocent person."_

Gwen went on and on about it, first convincing him and then adding an extra pound of pure, solid guilt. The woman, although still young, knew how to scold him very well and didn't let him off the hook with 'sorry'.  
"Therefor I offer you a residence in Camelot along with my most sincere apology." Arthur finished and the throne room was silent. Everyone was silent, the tension left half the people with their mouths open and made a comical sight if anyone could tear their gaze from the King and the innocent druid girl.

Freya was left speechless, she thought he'd condemn her and have her execute but instead he offered her an apology and a home in Camelot. For the first time since the curse, things were coming her way. Merlin knew how break the curse, a way to end her suffering. She couldn't go home. She didn't have any family anymore and what little was left of her village would never accept her, knowing what she was.  
"Thank you." She whispered in disbelief and didn't even realize there were tears running down her cheeks. In Camelot she could have a life, a real and decent life with friends and hopefully, one day, a family.  
"Merlin." Arthur called him and the manservant was almost too dumbstruck to react. He held his hand out to Freya and she took it with a smile of true happiness.

Leaving the throne room and out of sight from any guards, Freya turned to Merlin with an intense look on her face.  
"Morgana said you know how to lift the curse."  
"It'll be difficult but I know that if anyone can do it, it's you." Merlin tried to lift her spirits.  
"So what is it?" She asked.  
"I'll tell you once I get you _home_." He emphasized the last word. Merlin knew which house Arthur referred to when he said 'residence'. It was in the lower town and slightly smaller than Gaius' chambers, including Merlin's room. Most of the furniture was still there, one bed, table, chair and wardrobe. The fireplace was fine and so were the empty cupboards. Except for some pots and pans and maybe another chair, everything was there. The previous owner left in hurry right after the madness with Cornelius Sigan and few had the money to purchase a home.  
"Merlin, this all is really nice but how do we lift the curse?" Freya shared her realistic view on things.  
"From now until Sunday, we have to prevent you from killing anyone."  
"Merlin, I can't control the change, it's impossible." She had tried to resist the change before but it never helped, nothing had changed since then. Almost nothing.  
"Don't say that," Merlin nearly pleaded "if it were impossible then no one would've known how to lift it."  
Freya was a bit sceptic but there weren't many holes in that logic and thankfully she didn't find the one hole that remained (who?).  
"I'm not going to keep you cooped up here though. If I vouch for you, you might be able to work in the castle as a servant."  
"But what if there's a late night and I... change?" The girl wanted to plug every hole, anticipate every eventuality, only Merlin wouldn't let her.  
"Tell them you're not sleeping well because of the attacks and your imprisonment, they'll let you go home early. Gaius will have me bring you a sleeping draft, giving me a valid reason to visit you at night to make sure you're alright."  
"You never stop do you?" She asked with a shy smile.  
"Do what?" Merlin asked confused.  
"You never stop hoping. With you there's always a plan, always an answer."  
"Not always but I do try."  
"Is that how it happened between you and Morgana?" She asked curiously. A Lady and a servant, that was one tale she would like to hear.  
"I've had a crush on her since I knew her name. Never would I have thought it would grow out to this but as fate would have it, it did."  
"The Lady and her servant, sounds like a fairy-tale. How did she react to you having magic? You _did_ tell her, didn't you?" Freya had asked before but hadn't gotten an answer back then.  
"I did tell her, I wouldn't be able to be with someone if they didn't accept me completely. Telling her scared me, almost scared me away, but I did tell and she took it well."  
"Merlin, I have magic." Freya felt that now was the time to tell. He wouldn't condemn her for having magic, he didn't even give up on her knowing that she was a bastet, a murdering beast.  
"Magic is nothing to be scared of." He saw how she felt, heard the underlying tone.  
"It... There was a man. He attacked me. I didn't mean to hurt him, but I thought he was going to kill me. His mother was a sorceress, and when she find out that I'd killed her son, she cursed me to kill forever more."  
"You're not your curse, we _will_ lift it."  
"Even if we do, I'm not sure if I should stay. The things I've done... It wouldn't feel right."  
"I... First things first. We lift the curse and then we'll see about staying in Camelot permanently." Merlin wanted to postpone that decision for as long as possible, truth was he didn't really want her to leave so quickly. If it was guilt that drove her out of Camelot, he would make her see none of it was her fault. The girl nodded, of course he was right. He was Emrys and according to the druids a man with a great destiny. Merlin and Freya kept talking about several things but it was mostly him answering questions because she wasn't ready to talk about her past yet. The first thing they discussed was his coming to Camelot and how he, on his first day, spent time in jail. It was all good fun and games until Freya began to breathe rather heavily and collapsed onto all fours. It didn't need saying that it was time to see if he could 'tame the beast'. Her home was small and having seen the size of her as a Bastet, she wouldn't be able to fit through the window. He wouldn't let her leave the house, he would tempt fate and hopefully survive. He put his hands on either side of her head in an attempt to force her to look at him. She'd have to resist the change, now more than ever.  
"Freya, you _CAN_ resist it, you have to!" He said as her skin darkened from her hands running upwards.  
"This is your one chance to break the curse but YOU have to take it." He kept pushing as hands became paws and feline fur began to emerge.  
"Stop running and fight it, please." Merlin pleaded while the change kept going. Teeth became fangs and her eyes lighted up as gold as magic but also a shade of gold befitting a cat.  
"Camelot can be your home, you can have friends and family." The warlock was losing hope as he heard her dress tear but it didn't tear completely and her body began to shrink again. Merlin's eyes remained focused on Freya's and as soon as it was safe to approach her, when her claws were nails once more, he moved closer and held her gently. Curled up in her arms she was safe. He rocked her gently and let his magic flow to mend her dress. They sat there for a while until Merlin's arm began to fall asleep and she was still shaken by the experience. He picked her up and laid her on the bed but she wouldn't let go of his arm. She was acting like a frightened child but he wasn't a father and mindlessly sat down on the edge of the bed. What could he say to comfort her? _"Well done but sorry, I have to go home"_ Didn't seem a good idea. He tried to think of something and found the words to begin again.  
"There once was a servant in love with a Lady." He began and judging by the smile on her face, she liked it.

**Tuesday:**

Orange was the first thing he saw, eyelids still closed, and that meant the dawn of a new day. Opening his eyes, Merlin didn't immediately recognize his surroundings but seeing her, in bed, made him remember. He was glad everything had gone well so far but at least six more nights remained. Sitting up he rubbed his neck, the night had not done him well. The last thing he recalled was telling her a story, the story of how he and Morgana came to be. He had gotten as far as their first dance, that's when he noticed she had fallen asleep. Freya still wore that tattered dress and they'd have to get her a new one, or new ones, as to make her another citizen of Camelot rather than be looked down upon as 'the druid girl'. Merlin was conflicted. He had to wake Arthur and tend to his duties but there was also Freya who could wake up at any moment. Who was more important? In general it would be Arthur but getting out of bed by himself could hardly hurt him. Merlin quickly popped out to get some breakfast and living in the lower town did have it advantages, the shops were nearby and it allowed him to get back before she woke up.

"Merlin?" Freya's sleepy voice asked as he stocked the cupboard.  
"Good morning." He said cheery but then realised his mistake. "Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?" He asked and when he turned around he saw she was crying. His mouth already open to ask what was wrong she hugged him.  
"Thank you." She whispered and Merlin didn't really get it. "Good morning." She replied with a smile and he caught on. Seeing as she killed every night, no one had said 'good morning' to her in a very long time. One of the little things that made the difference. He told her that he would have to go to work but he didn't do so until after breakfast. He noticed she smiled as they ate though she still ate like a savage but that would probably correct itself. Merlin gave her three rules. One, don't use magic. Two, don't leave Camelot. Three, get home before dark.

The warlock found the Prince just before practice and, oddly enough, alone.  
"Why you are late?" The Prat demanded to know and Merlin thought it best to lie.  
"Overslept." He said. It was either that or spending a night at the tavern.  
"So spending the night at Freya's has nothing to do with it?" The Prat continued and he didn't give his servant a chance to retort.  
"Personally, I don't approve of you taking advantage of her." He said and Merlin felt insulted.  
"Oi! I did NOT take advantage of her, you prat! It was her first night in Camelot, alone and without restraints. She was scared and... I offered to stay the night if that would make her feel safer." It wasn't the whole truth but, dumbed down for his royal pratness, that summed it up quite nicely.  
"Take away one worry and you give me another one." Merlin didn't really understand what Arthur meant by that and completely irrelevant when another question popped into his head.  
"How did you even know? Did you have me followed?" The warlock asked suspiciously.  
"No, I had _her _followed. It was merely a precaution." The King said it like it was nothing.  
"Precaution?! She's suffering from night terrors and still you believe she's a sorceress?" Again Merlin showed protectiveness over the young druid and it started to get on Arthur's nerves.  
"I had to be sure Aredian was wrong." The King admitted reluctantly. Arthur still found it hard to believe the man's 'work' had been a complete lie and dread to think what his father might think of it. Merlin grunted with disapproval, to him it seemed like Arthur's verdict in the throne room had been nothing but a lie so he could test her.  
"It was either this or locking her up and the latter wouldn't have proven anything." Arthur explained and this time the King managed to convince his manservant that his actions were justified, calming him down as well.  
"Does she trust you?" The King asked.  
"What's it to you?" Merlin answered rather hostile, this whole back-and-forth was _really_ getting on his nerves.  
"I admit that having someone follow her around is far from ideal. Seeing as you're _not_ involved with her, I thought..." Arthur trailed off so he would't have to say _spy_, _watch_, _follow_ or anything else insulting.  
"And betray her trust? You're a horrible person, Arthur." Merlin bickered.  
"I'll take that as a 'no'."  
"It's yes. If it has to be someone, it might as well be me." Merlin said and sighed in annoyance. Hopefully Arthur hadn't changed his mind yet since he wanted to minimize threats to Freya's new life.  
"I'm glad you accept." The relief in Arthur's voice took him aback.  
"Huh? How's that?"  
"Let's just say it's become a bit difficult to tell who can be trusted."  
"I'd almost say you trust me." Merlin teased.  
"Breathe but a word about it and I'll have your head." Arthur talked back just like they always goofed around.  
"Not that anyone would believe me." Merlin earned a chuckle from Arthur.  
"Good, glad we've got that settled." Arthur said but Merlin wasn't finished.  
"Not quite. She's unemployed and wearing... well... rags. There's no other word for it. So right now she's bored and unattended." If he could get out of his chores then Freya wouldn't be lonely and there were loads of things that still needed to be done.  
"You _really _want to get out of those chores, don't you?" Arthur gave him a questioning brow.  
"And lighten your wallet, yes." Merlin added cheekily.  
"Chores, fine, but I'll only cover _part_ of your expenses afterwards. You have no idea how much Morgana spends on dresses." - Merlin did know but let the King continue - "As for employment, get her cleaned up and if she looks alright then I'll let her work in the castle where we can _all_ keep an eye on her."  
"_If she looks alright_? You've still got Audrey working in the kitchen." Audrey was the head chef. She was a bit chubby but not really ugly, her clothes would be a mess sometimes but such was the hazard of working in the kitchen.  
"True, and sometimes I wonder why I still employ you, you know." Arthur joked as Merlin walked off but the King missed the reply.  
"That's it? No snarky remarks? No _you can't live without a servant_?" Arthur taunted him.  
"You got dressed this morning, didn't you?" Merlin finally talked back as he moved out of sight.

The manservant decided it was time to visit that kindred spirit he adored so much but met resistance at the door in the form of a maid.  
"Merlin?" Gwen asked his attention with concern thick in her voice.  
"Yeah?" Merlin asked reluctantly since Arthur probably liked to gossiping about his friend's late night.  
"Can we talk?"  
"Sure, go ahead."  
"I ehm... I noticed you didn't come home last night." There, she said it and he wasn't surprised at all.  
"Arthur told you, didn't he?" Merlin was getting rather agitated by not being told the truth. Arthur seemed callous about it and now Gwen tried to cover for him. There was of course the possibility that Morgana was worried about him and Gwen shared those worries. Only it wasn't like Morgana to share such worries with her maid and friend.  
"Things Arthur said... Worry me." The maid tried to approach the subject carefully if such a thing was even possible.  
"Nothing happened." Merlin tried to remain calm. "She's spent days in a cage, wouldn't you be scared? She can't go home because she hasn't got a home. Her relatives have passed away and now she's alone in a city she doesn't know. Have you any idea what it feels like to be all alone in the world with no one to talk to or comfort you?" Merlin's words were spoken with more intensity than he realised. There were memories from when he was going into puberty and his magic along with it. Sometimes his magic would lash out without him meaning to and he grew frustrated for there was no one there to explain, no one who understood. Gwen was on the receiving end of those words and she could tell it was about more than just Freya but she dare not dig any deeper.  
"Sorry." He apologized, rubbing his forehead. "Arthur assumed things and now you... it's frustrating." He explained.  
"You'd better go in." Gwen answered rather curtly. Merlin didn't go on about it and just entered Morgana's room with a soft knock.  
"Morgana?" Merlin called as he entered.  
"I'm here, Merlin." The Lady replied from behind the vanity.  
"How is she?" Morgana asked, dancing around the not-so-secret secret.  
"No one died but it was a close call." He answered truthfully  
"What do you mean?" She asked for clarification.  
"At midnight she almost changed."  
"You prevented it?"  
"She started shaking and I told her she could resist in. When she started to change I almost lost faith but halfway through the change, she became human again. She _can_ resist it. Afterwards I didn't dare leave her alone in case it might happen still. I dozed off eventually."  
"I see." Was all she said. His words may have been a lot to take in but even being the usual hero, his story wasn't that believable and she had reason to believe he was lying.  
"What did Gwen tell you?" He asked for them to stop beating 'round the bush.  
"Arthur told me you left with Freya and late. Then he was so _kind _as to fill in the blanks for me." Her tone implied she was angry with Arthur but he knew her too well to think she was alright. Either anger would mask her tears or tears would mask her anger. Truth was she felt hurt and was trying to compensate. He took her hands in his and gently let his thumbs draw soft circles on the back of her hands.  
"Don't hide from me, Morgana. I hate it when you do that." He expressed his concern.  
"You spent the night at a woman's home, what was I supposed to think?"  
"That I'm not that kind of person. It's always been you that I've held in my heart and nothing has changed. I want to share my life with you, not her." Merlin's eyes always had an effect on her. She loved to lose herself in them and now she damned them for making her feel so vulnerable. Right now she wanted to be angry with him but she couldn't, not when he was like this.  
"Arthur wants me to keep an eye on her and help her settle in, he still thinks she might be a sorceress." Merlin  
"And you said yes." Morgana blamed him.  
"Because she is, sort of. She has magic but she can't control it. It's part of the reason she was cursed. And I'd like Gwen to help me with that, to give you some peace of mind." He said. Morgana felt torn. They saved Freya but he had spent the night there and she didn't know what to think of it. Gwen's help would be alright but why did it have to be him to help Freya fit in? _Because she's cursed._ Morgana told herself. If Arthur hadn't... _Arthur_ she cursed in her mind. He was a complete clotpole. With two practicing sorcerers under his roof and so close to him, he had to be incredibly thick. The King might've talked about Merlin 'getting a girl' but the complete and utter prat was wrong. She and Merlin had put him right on plenty occasions and yesterday it was Gwen's turn. Merlin wasn't unfaithfull, _her _Merlin would never do that.  
"I trust you." Morgana told him.  
"Thank you." Merlin said and planned on leaving until Morgana yanked him back by his arm.  
"I didn't see you last night, you still have to make up for that." She told him. The castle was filled with servants during the day and, getting lost in their kissing, someone might walk in on them. At night they could kiss at their hearts content. It was slightly foolish to make up for it during the day but Morgana wanted him to know he was hers. She forced his back against the wall and kissed him forcefully, her tongue demanding dominance. He growled as her hand moved underneath his shirt but her actions were harmless. Sex was something they hadn't done yet and doing it in broad daylight was unthinkable. The act itself, however, had crossed his mind more than once. With all the effort put into kissing, it didn't take long before their lips parted and both took deep breaths. Catching his breath, Merlin pushed _her_ back against the wall, effectively making them change places, and his lips assaulted her pale neck. Morgana smiled. Yes, he was still _her_ Merlin.  
"Merlin." She brought him back to his senses although he could easily mistake it for a pleasuring moan.  
"Yes," he chuckled "I should get going." And after a quick kiss he did so.

"Gwen," Merlin approached the maid. "I need a favour." Merlin didn't ask many favours but she feared he might ask something indecent like turning a blind eye. Thankfully he didn't and asked something far more noble than that.  
"I'm supposed to go to the market with Freya to get her some decent clothing. Would you please take my place?" Merlin pleaded. Good, kind and understanding Gwen didn't refuse. If she were around Freya then Morgana would be a lot less troubled and it would allow Gwen to find out what kind of a woman Freya really was. With a thankfull nod Merlin and Gwen went to Freya's house but not before stopping by Gwen's for an extra dress, if Freya showed up in the rags she wore now, people in the market would stare at her. Introductions were made and Freya was at ease once Merlin told her it was _that_ Gwen. When Freya went to change behind the screen, Merlin left.  
"What's going on between you and Merlin?" Gwen asked now that the man in question was out of sight.  
"Nothing, we're just friends." Freya spoke light-heartedly.  
"I heard he spent the night at your new home."  
"We talked, nothing more. He just wanted to make sure I would be alright." She said but Gwen was a bit suspicious. Gwen knew Merlin's boyish charms and she didn't get over him in the blink of an eye.  
"I don't suppose you talked about me, did you?" Gwen wanted to test her.  
"He wasn't wrong about you so far."  
"Really? What did he say?"  
"That you were kind and honest and possibly the best seamstress in Camelot." Freya's words almost made Gwen feel guilty if she wasn't so fiercely loyal to Morgana.  
"He also said you always looked out from him and Lady Morgana. That's why you were asking about last night, isn't it?" Freya asked as she came out from behind the screen in Gwen's dress.  
"I don't follow." Gwen tried to play the fool but she didn't buy it.  
"Yes, you do. I've been on my own for a long time, Gwen. I've learned to tell when people lie to me." The druid girl perceptiveness was uncanny and pretty much destroyed the sad image Gwen had of her.  
"I ehm..." Gwen stumbled but Freya wasn't so stumped.  
"You're being a good friend to them, I admire that. I've seen the glances they give each other and I won't stand in their way, I don't even think I could if I wanted to. I hope that, with time, we might be able to be friends as well."  
She hadn't expected that. She'd expected anger, shouting, blaming and utter contempt but instead she was being kind and understanding.

"Merlin!" Gaius called as the warlock had finally returned to the physician's chambers. "You still haven't told me what creature plagues the lower town."  
"Don't worry, I've dealt with it." He dismissed the question and Gaius gave him 'the brow'.  
"What aren't you telling me?" The physician asked. "What did you do?"  
"The right thing. Trust me." Merlin assured him but although the physician was not convinced, he stopped asking questions. Gaius was a bit hurt by the way things were. His ward no longer trusted him but that was just one side of it. The other side was a lot more serious and not even the warlock's fault. Knowing that Merlin kept secrets troubled Gaius but not as much as the fact that he was doing the exact same thing. The physician was even worse with more secrets and darker ones by far. To confront the boy now would be a mistake as it would only further ruin their already weakened relationship.

Going back to Freya's home, the warlock found the door locked but a pleasant voice called his name. Gwen was there with an almost unrecognizable Freya. The two women had settled their differences and seemed to be friends though Gwen was still a somewhat suspicious. The maid had done more than just looking for a dress, she had also done her hair. Freya had straight bangs and her hair lingered on her shoulders. The tattered robe and borrowed yellow dress were replaced with a white long sleeved shirt with a light-blue bodice and matching skirt. If Merlin hadn't known it was her, he wouldn't have recognized her at all.  
"Freya?" He asked amazed with a smile on his face and his mouth still open in awe.  
"Good or bad?" The girl more or less showed off.  
"Astonishing. Just, wow." Gwen didn't like Merlin's enthusiasm. With Morgana already concerned, it might just add to the anxiety and the maid cursed herself for it. Merlin and Gwen didn't stay for long. The warlock had to attend the royal prat's dinner and naturally so did Gwen.

Afterwards Gwen escorted Morgana back to her chambers and they discussed her day with Freya. The maid did not bring Freya's statement about Merlin and Morgana's love with much joy and explained that the druid girl had seen right through her. Morgana nodded understandingly, she couldn't really blame her maid for it. As for Freya's intentions, they might just have to wait and see.

Evening had come again and Merlin returned to Freya's home. Like before, they talked and this time it was about something she dare not dream of for a long time, the future. Tomorrow they would visit Morgana and see Arthur about getting a job. The warlock also admitted that he was to 'spy' on her but she knew all was well when he mentioned that the King would pay for part of her dresses. Then, as the bells chimed twelve, it began once more. Her breathing quickened and skin changed.  
"Freya, look at my eyes, LOOK AT MY EYES!" He urged. "Remember the lake, the beautiful lake surrounded by great mountains. Remember summer, the first wild flowers to blossom and the warm, orange light of dawn fighting its way past the treeline."  
Freya's breathing slowed down, it was working. It wasn't over in an instant, she had to ward it off for some time before it finally passed and when it did, she almost collapsed.

Lying on the bed she was cluthing his hand again and Merlin went back to telling the story of him and Morgana, picked up where they had left off. Again he kept telling the story until she fell asleep and that was just after he and Morgana left the grove.

* * *

**AN:**  
Part one of a filler two-parter. It's a bit boring, I admit, but it has to be written.  
I had Arthur say "There is no trial" to create suspense.

Freya is a bit tricky to write since she hasn't had that much screen time. She's a bit shy like we have seen but I think she's also a bit skeptical. _Why are you helping me? Why are you so good to me?_ - I think she's quite smart but we simply haven't seen it.

I'd like your opinions on Freya, whether she should stay or go. If she stays, she won't be put in the background but neither will she be a love interest for Merlin. She'll grow more confident though we've seen a bit of that already.

Finally, I don't know how FF counts words but it's wrong. The word count increases dramatically when I add a horizontal line (to separate the story from the author notes for example), it increased the word count with at least 200 for no reason.


	9. Moonlight Part 2

**Moonlight (Part 2)**

**Wednesday **

Again Merlin woke in Freya's house. He really shouldn't be making a habit of it. Being there he quickly got himself breakfast, contrary to the cupboards in the physician's chambers, these cupboards actually contained food. Freya also got up and dressed in time to still have a decent conversation with him. She apologized for grabbing his arm like a toddler though Merlin was a bit silly by staying in fear of waking her up. Morgana, however, would probably be worried. Gwen let show as much. Merlin brushed it off by telling Freya that Morgana would worry less once she had a job at the castle. Knocking on the door followed soon after and it was Gwen who had offered to help Freya with her appearance. Lady Morgana's maid shooed the warlock out of the house and Merlin might as well do some chores for Arthur while he was in the lower town.

Seeing Merlin in Freya's house so early in the morning gave Gwen an idea. If Freya needed him because she was scared and he was her only friend, then Gwen would be a friend as well. Maybe then Merlin wouldn't have to stay at night and she'd finally find out what was going on. Morgana had asked Gwen about the _former_ druid girl and wondered if she felt at home in Camelot. New clothes and haircut did make Freya feel more at home although, due to her good looks, she did need to get used to the attention she got from men. Gwen knew that to be a friend, she'd need to do something to convince Freya that she trusted her and wouldn't hold her hand forever.

"Are you sure?" Freya asked once more and Gwen nodded. It was the fourth time she asked and from start to finish, Gwen had reassured her nothing bad would happen and any harm done would be easy to mend. Freya took a deep sigh and softly knocked on the door after which passed her the tray.  
"Come in." Said a feminine voice on the other side. Freya entered and she was glad Merlin wasn't there though it didn't make her any less nervous. She had been in the room before but this time she had the time to take everything in. The large bed, the table and chairs, the vanity, all were exquisite.  
"Your breakfast, milady." Freya curtsied. Merlin had explained that there was _a_ tension between him and Morgana but she didn't know the gravity of it.  
"Just put it over there." Morgana pointed at the table without taking her eyes off the mirror and correcting her hair a bit. Freya did as told and Morgana got up from the vanity. The Lady walked past her without really looking at her. It was when she sat down that she noticed something was off. Morgana looked up to dismiss the servant who she thought was being a bit obnoxious, all but her maid usually just left, but Morgana didn't say anything. She didn't recognize the servant but there was something awfully familiar about her.  
"What's your name?" Morgana asked in wonder.  
"Freya." She answered with a modest smile in an attempt to be polite but when Morgana's jaw dropped she couldn't help but grin like an idiot.  
"Turn around, let me have a look at you!" Morgana enthusiastically picked up where she'd left off. The girl twirled 'round once and the Lady smiled approvingly. "How do you feel?"  
"Good, great. Everyone is being so kind to me." Freya almost giggled.  
"It doesn't mean you can trust them, just remember that." Morgana said in hopes that the sudden bliss wouldn't make her too naïve.  
"I learned that the hard way." The memory didn't leave Freya untouched. Feelings of dread almost washed over her, just beneath the surface.  
"In a few days it will all be behind you." Morgana had to remind her that those dark days were coming to an end.  
"Morgana, I'm sorry I've stirred up so much trouble between you and Merlin." Freya said with a tone of voice that belonged to 'the druid girl'.  
"I blame Arthur." Morgana stated bluntly though in the back of her mind, Freya wasn't innocent either.  
"I should be getting back. Merlin said he'd help me get a job in the castle."  
"Yes, he mentioned it earlier. Good luck."  
"Milady." Freya curtsied one last time before leaving the room.  
"I see it went well." Gwen said as Freya left Morgana's chambers.  
"Yes, uhm, do you know where Merlin is? He said he'd help me get a job."  
Gwen gave her directions as to '_let go of her hand_' and Freya was off, leaving Gwen in the mess she herself had created.  
"Milady?" Gwen asked cautiously entering her mistress' chambers.  
"I would've preferred that we talk about it first." Morgana said. There was a fine line between bold and rude but Gwen knew it very well and she had definitely crossed it and Morgana.  
"Sorry, milady."  
Morgana let out a sigh and told Gwen what was said, especially her apology towards the little conflict between her and Merlin. It seemed the Lady of Camelot found reassurance in the girl's words of regret and Gwen would be safe of any repercussion.

Following Gwen's directions, Freya crossed the castle courtyard and then got slightly lost. She worked her way back to the courtyard and decided it would be best to ask for directions. If only things were so simple. Whenever Freya passed a guard, she feared that they would command her to stop like when they captured her in the castle. With that fear in mind, she made it impossible for herself to work up the nerve to ask where the court physician was. There were small groups of servants she _could_ asking someone in a group proved to be too daunting for her. Then she saw an old man waddle onto the courtyard. Old people, in general, were reasonably kind and well mannered.

"Excuse me, sir?" Freya approached the old man.  
"Yes?" He replied with a slightly raised eyebrow but nothing too scary.  
"Could you tell me where the physician's chambers are?" She asked.  
"Ah, then you must be looking for me. I'm Gaius, the court physician." He introduced himself and Freya recognized him as Merlin's guardian.  
"Freya." She introduced herself and went on to correcting the old man's assumption. "But actually, I was looking for Merlin."  
"Freya... sounds familiar. What is it you need Merlin for?" Gaius didn't mean to pry but a woman he didn't know was asking for his ward who had never mentioned her.  
"He said he'd help me get a job." She explained and the old physician's eyes seemed pop open.  
"You're the druid girl he's been helping." Gaius almost exclaimed.  
"Yes." Freya dared to crack a smile at his excitement.  
"Come along. He's doing chores for me at the moment, shouldn't be long before he gets back."

She followed him to his chambers which were an outright mess. Castle servants were supposed to be representable but Merlin didn't spend much time doing his hair and who could blame him when even his home was a mess. Besides all the junk littering the room, there was another something that caught her eye.  
"Those are a lot of books." Freya noted as she browsed the shelves.  
"Can you read? You're welcome to borrow one if you want, Merlin tends to use them as a pillow." Gaius chuckled.  
"I can't. I know a few words but that's about it."  
"If you intend to become a castle servant, it may be wise to learn." The old physician was right about that. Not all servants could read but those who did were further up the food chain than most. Gwen served a Lady and Merlin served a King, their tasks would include writing and, of course, reading. But there was one major problem in Gaius' suggestion.  
"From whom? I can't afford a tutor and I doubt anyone has time to spare." She countered.  
"The keeper of the royal library, Geoffrey of Monmouth, might be willing to teach you."  
"Without charge?" Freya asked curiously.  
"No charge at all. He and Merlin don't get along but that's because he knows how Merlin handles book. Treat him and his books well and you'll find him more than willing to help." The physician knew this because only he and Merlin ever visited the library and it was the sort of place where one would get lonely.  
"I'll keep that in mind." She made a mental note of paying the, probably old, man a visit later. From the physician's chambers, steps could be heard outside and the door opened to reveal the young warlock struggling to find something in his satchel.  
"Didn't find much taproot today." He said as he slowly walked over to his guardian's bench and carelessly emptied the contents of his satchel upon it. It was only then that Merlin noticed he had obliviously walked past the third person in the room. He turned his head around and found Freya standing before him with a hopeful smile.

Freya followed Merlin down the corridors of the castle to meet the King once more. It still didn't feel right, walking amongst ordinary people as if nothing had happened, as if the curse wasn't there at all.

"Sire?" Merlin asked for his attention though Arthur was being thick again.  
"I still need my armour polished, Merlin." The King replied without looking up from his writing.  
"It's about Freya." Merlin said trying to state the obvious.  
"What about her?" He asked as he still didn't look up. Then the King grew slightly annoyed with his silence and looked up, finally noticing the girl next to him.  
"Too tall." Arthur said bluntly as he went back to his reading.  
"What?!" Merlin exclaimed in outrage.  
"That's not her. I remember her being shorter." The King stated.  
"Sire?" Freya said hesitantly as she didn't know if it was out of line for a subject to adress the King on her own accord. But it had the desired effect as Arthur recognized her voice and was looking at her with his full attention. "I would still like employment within the castle." She slightly jested. The King took a better look at her and concluded that it was really her but also that she was indeed taller. _"She's wearing shoes... Women and their shoes..."_ Arthur cursed in his mind and nodded at the well-dressed former druid girl.  
"I saw Morris skulking around here somewhere. Tell him I sent you and he'll help you get started." Arthur replied.  
"Sire-" Merlin began to protest, there was no need to have her search for Morris when he could help.  
"I want a word with Merlin in private." Arthur interjected. Freya curtsied hesitantly and left to find Morris, whoever that was.

As the door closed it was Merlin who got the King's full attention.  
"There's seriously nothing go on between you two?" Arthur wanted to make sure things went the way he liked them to be.  
"Friends but nothing more." The manservant replied truthfully.  
"So if I ask you whether she has magic..." Arthur theorised and Merlin continued.  
"If she has it, she's not using it." Merlin had chosen his words very carefully and his reply wasn't an actual answer. _Having _and _using _were two different things entirely. Still, it wasn't a lie. With his mind still reeling by Aredian's betrayal, Arthur's doubts got the best of him.  
"Good, I'm glad. That'll be all." Arthur sighed. Merlin had to admit that Morgana's little master class 'lying to Arthur' paid off though the fact that she could fill two whole hours on the subject was a bit worrying.  
"I'll go polish your armour." Merlin said and left to do so.

Torches were being lit as Freya made her way home. Morris was a decent enough bloke but got a bit scared when he found out who she was, not that it was a secret. She was exhausted and her bones ached but the work she had done, just having a job on its own, was greatly satisfying. Merlin would be arriving in two or three hours to help her through the night like he had done before and she kept herself occupied until the time he did. The soft knocking on her door was her que to open it and there he-

"Morga- Milady." Freya corrected herself at the sight of the Lady of Camelot in her green dress. This was most unexpected, she thought it was Merlin.  
"Hello, Freya." She returned casually but pleased with the successful surprise.  
"Come in. It's still a bit of a mess but it's home." Freya wasn't even sure a woman of her standing would even enter a small cottage like hers but had Morgana already proven to be more than a pretty picture.  
"It's lovely." Morgana exaggerated but it was far from being a lie.  
"I'm sorry if I'm being rude, milady, but why exactly are you here at such a late hour?" Freya asked curiously. Their little chat earlier had gone well but nothing more, so there was no apparent reason why she would come. It could involve Merlin since the warlock did tend to get involve with pretty much everything. Morgana's answer involved none of it.  
"Because I can talk with you without having to worry about spilling secrets. And you can call me Morgana when we're alone."  
"I thought you and Gwen grow up together?" Freya asked since she wasn't Morgana's servant nor, to her knowledge, even a friend. Morgana and Gwen had known each other since childhood, there would be little secrets between them if any at all.  
"Yes, but she doesn't know about Merlin's magic." Morgana clarified and that made sense of it all. Already being on the topic of Merlin's magic, probably wanting to gossip about it, Freya decided now might be best to tell her something.  
"Morgana, I don't want to offend or frighten you but... I have magic too." Freya confessed and the lady looked at her with a curious smile. _He hasn't told her, has he?_ Morgana's mind wondered. They shared the secret of Merlin's magic but he hadn't told the girl about Morgana's though he did tell the other way around. Merlin really did know how to keep secrets, spilling only those that were -quote- _his to tell_.  
"So do I." Morgana said with a smile and Freya just stared for a while.  
"You have..." Freya almost exclaimed but adjusted her tone of voice and continued whispering "magic?"  
Morgana nodded with glee, this was exactly the kind of gossip she was after.  
"Did Merlin know when he told you?" Freya asked and Morgana let out a little laugh.  
"At the time, I didn't even know I had it." She replied and Freya, although surprised, hadn't the time to look the part as someone else now knocked on her front door.

"Merlin." Freya greeted him almost prematurely, another surprise visitor would've been an even greater surprise. He merely nodded as a greeting while she tried not to let on someone else was there.  
"Morgana." He greeted Freya's other visitor quizzically and with a surprised smile.  
"Hello, Merlin." The Lady returned casually though her smile was devious. The warlock walked over and gave a quick kiss on those delectable lips of hers. They both let out a shallow breath when their lips parted.  
The three talked for a while until midnight had nearly come to pass, that was when they had to keep the Bastet at bay much as Merlin had done before. Morgana too had talked in on the girl just as heartfelt as Merlin did. In the end, when Freya was beneath the covers and Merlin told the tale of their love, did Morgana realise how much the three of them were alike.

All of them had magic but that wasn't the only thing they had in common. They had scars under the skin, pasts leaving them changed forever. Freya and Morgana had lost their parents and Merlin had never met his father. The three of them had lonely pasts. Morgana might have been a lady but her only true friends were Arthur and Gwen, Merlin had Will and the people of Freya was forced to run and hide from everything and everyone. All their hearts suffered aches of secrecy and finally, when it was just the three of them, they could let go and be free. If only for a moment, it could be enough for a lifetime.

Freya dozed off and Morgana turned to Merlin.  
"You tell her the story of our love to get her to sleep?" Morgana asked curiously.  
"I didn't know what to do the first time and she said our love was like a fairy-tale." Merlin explained.  
"It's cute." She remarked, to her it wasn't insulting. In fact, in a jealous way of thinking, it told Freya that Merlin was already taken. But the story, as told by Merlin, said more than simply what had happened, he shared his thoughts and feelings. The lovers had never looked back on it and shared what they felt at the time, probably because they simply lived it but that didn't mean the story left her unaffected. Morgana's heart would jump and ache throughout his storytelling, never had she known what she'd done to him.

**Thursday**

Freya woke early in the morning and this time Merlin wasn't there for breakfast. She hadn't been holding his arm like she did before and Morgana had been there as well. She saw it as making progress. With Gwen's help the previous day, Freya managed to do her hair. It was strange though. First she was cursed and all alone, then she got all the attention from Merlin, Morgana and Gwen and now she was free to go out on her own. That sounded rather exciting. She quickly downed several slices of bread without toppings and left to see a bit more of Camelot before it was time for her duties. One of the things she wanted to do before starting with her duties was to visit the man Gaius had mentioned, the keeper of the library, Geoffrey of Monmouth.

The little sunlight that entered the library did not bring much brightness to the room and just around the corner, behind a wooden desk, sat a bald, elderly man. Freya moved closer and the man, presumably the keeper, looked up from his book.  
Having gained his attention she asked "Are you Geoffrey of Monmouth?"  
The man nodded and replied "Yes, young lady, I am. But who are you?"  
_Young lady? I haven't been called that since-_ Her thoughts were cut off by the fact there was a conversation to attend to, a reply waiting to be giving. "Freya."  
Geoffrey squinted for a moment before continuing their dialogue. "Sounds familiar but I can't quite put it. In any case, how can I help you?"  
"I uhm... I work as a servant in the castle and Gaius advised me that it might be useful for me to learn to.. well... read."  
"And he told you to come to me." Freya nodded at the assumption and the librarian visibly pondered his next move.  
"How much do you know?" He asked.  
"I know the alphabet and the druids taught me a few words-"  
"Ah, that's why your name is so familiar, you're the druid girl Arthur spared." Geoffrey interjected and a decision had to be made.

Many years ago, it was he that taught Arthur and Morgana how to read _and_ write. The girl would do as told, even when she was reluctant or annoyed. The boy, on the other hand, would almost throw a tantrum when his writing assignment had to be corrected for the third time. '_This is no way to treat a prince!_' He would say and Geoffrey would remind him just who sent him there to learn in the first place. It was when Morgana began to boast that the Prince began doing his job seriously.

Those two were forced to learn and Freya came there out of free will. He would teach her, it would be the best for both of them.  
"We start tomorrow morning, agreed?"  
"Agreed." Freya answered relieved.

Her duties, however, began with a very rocky start. One of the knight was eyeing her suspiciously which really didn't help her to relax and she clumsily dropped a few pieces of clothing. She cringed at her mistake and quickly tried to fix the mess she had made before the knight, who now walked in her direction, would stand before her.  
"You're new here, aren't you?" The knight inquired.  
"Since yesterday." Freya replied unsure. She had gotten over the fact that the guards wouldn't hurt her but knights, men who could, and would, think and speak for themselves, men who approached her, still made her a bit uncomfortable as if they were watching her every move.  
"I'm Sir Leon, second in command of the knights." He said as he held out his hand. Freya gulped, licked her lips and cautiously reached for his hand as if lightning would strike her.  
"Freya." Her words shocked him most and the knight was almost without words... almost.  
"I'll be honest, I don't where that leaves us." He said bashfully after a lengthy pause and Freya almost took it the wrong way.  
"I should be going, there's a lot left to do." She said and got her things and left with a curt 'goodbye'.  
"Right, take care." Sir Leon replied, trying to more or less salvage what was left of their conversation.

After such great awkwardness, Freya was glad work could take her mind off the whole incident and the day seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye. She took pride in her work and today's little achievement. Geoffrey of Monmouth had actually agreed to teach her how to read. Once she was back at her house, the small piece of world she could call her own, she put the kettle on and sat down at the table with the children's book.

She found the stories brilliant, the mere concept of 'the written word' was brilliant. Knowledge, history, tales of old, ink on paper withstanding the ravages of time to be read where no bard would ever be heard. To her, learning to read was, childishly enough, like uncovering one of life's greatest secrets.

Merlin visited her again that evening, they made idle conversation, they fought her change and he carried on with the bedtime story before leaving some time past midnight.

**Friday**

The next day progressed much like the one before only just a little bit better. She was walking home from work when a voice called her from behind.  
"Freya!"  
The girl turned around to the upbeat voice of her colleague.  
"Hey, Gwen. How are things?"  
"Fine." Morgana's maidservant hastily disposed of the pleasantries to talk about something far more important. "I was in the lower town yesterday and I saw this dress that's just perfect for you."  
"Really?" Freya was surprised that the Gwen, who at first didn't seem to like her, was now acting like a friend by talking about dresses.  
"We could go to my place so you can try it on." Gwen proposed which surprised Freya even more. Apparently Gwen had borrowed it or actually bought it already. Still, Freya would not turn down an offer like that, call it an offer of friendship if you will.

Gwen's home was very comfy, especially compared to Freya's, but despite it being spacious for just one resident, Freya knew why she lived alone and her story was just as horrid as her own. Gwen laid the dress over the screen and Freya moved behind it to change.  
"I heard you've got quite some admirers." Gwen pried from the other side..  
"They tend to back off once they know who I am." Freya was almost sad about it as it meant she still hadn't been fully accepted.  
"Still, there are those who don't know when to quit."  
"Haven't met those yet."  
The dress Gwen had gotten her was quite fashionable but heavy as well. The fabric was noticeably more expensive than her usual clothes and a lot thicker as well, something far more appropriate for winter. As Freya undid her dress, another dress was swung over the screen. Gwen had borrowed far more than just one dress and Freya didn't mind trying them on.

"Let me get this straight, Merlin convinced you to hide the King-"  
"-Prince." Gwen corrected.  
"Right, hide the Prince and you end up snogging him!" Freya almost teased her.  
"You make it sounds so petty." Gwen argued.  
"No, I'm happy for you two, really." The other girl replied.  
"No, I'm happy for you two. It's just... Pendragons and their servants." Freya laughed as she put her own dress back on.

The bells chimed but before they were even done Freya already knew the time. The tingling sensation than ran down her spine told everything she needed to know. This time Merlin wasn't there to stop it and it was her own damn fault. She knew the risks of coming home with Gwen and instead of keeping an eye on the time, telling Gwen she really needed her sleep, she had irresponsibly forgotten all about it.

"Gwen," She addressed her friend whilst het voice was still normal. "find Merlin, I'm not feeling well."  
"Are you alright?" Gwen asked redundantly and Freya wished she hadn't. The girl fell onto hands and knees as the change starting to take hold. On the other side of the screen Gwen could see one of her hands sticking out and lines of fur began to form.  
_"Not now, not when all is well, I don't want it to be over!"_ She thought as tears ran down her cheeks. Her thoughts were audible to the young warlock who was out looking for her but she didn't know that. Gwen's curiosity got the better of her, whether Freya was dressed or not, she knew her friend was far from alright.  
"Freya-" Gwen turned pale at what she saw. The girl hadn't changed fully yet but she had paws, whiskers and even a tail.  
_"I can't do this to them, they've given me too much for me to just give up."  
_Freya moaned through clenched teeth as they grew to become fangs and the feminine voice turned to low growling.  
_"Merlin, Morgana, Gwen, Geoffrey, they're my friends and I don't want to hurt them. I WON'T, I WON'T. NOT AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN."_

Merlin heard her voice inside his head, her semi-silent pleas of how things should be. Since he had begun his search from Freya, each time her voice pierced his mind he found himself closer to her, the source. It was not until that last sentence that he knew where she was. The only person she knew that came from the lower town had to be Gwen. Adding to this was the light coming from her home even though it was well past midnight.

The warlock opened the door without preamble and was shocked to find Freya on the floor, unconscious and covered by a blanket. She wasn't dead, the sheet did not cover that much. To his left stood Gwen who did not know how to respond to the intrusion of her home.  
"Merlin..." She tried to greet him though his mind was elsewhere.  
"Did she hurt anyone?" Merlin asked but shock was still sinking in and so he clarified, "I need to know."  
Gwen could barely find it in herself to respond at all. "I... Uhm... No, she hasn't left the house."  
Merlin sighed relieved and put his back against the wall. No one had gotten hurt, he could stop holding his breath now.  
"This is why you stayed over?" Gwen asked, putting the puzzle together. Merlin nodded as he sighed once more.  
"Is she... what..." Gwen tried to put it into words only nothing seemed to describe it.  
"Cursed, she's cursed. Two more nights and it should be lifted." Merlin didn't want to go into details, didn't want another person to know the full extent of the girl's troublesome past.  
"Did she kill Aredian?" Gwen asked outright.  
"She can't control it but yes, she did."  
"Does Morgana know?"  
"She's seen part of it, probably as much as you have." Merlin saw fit to share the fact of it since it would probably calm things down. Then Gwen sat down on her bed and sighed as well. It had been a fairly calm day until just then and she felt exhausted.  
"She trusts you." Merlin spoke out of the blue and Gwen gave him a questioning look. So he continued, "Nobody got hurt. It takes a lot for her to resist and change back."  
"And Arthur?" Gwen inquired and Merlin fought the urge to sigh, this time out of annoyance.  
"I didn't tell him. If he knows... he can't do anything but have her killed." Merlin tried to put a lid on things. Arthur, although good-hearted, would have no choice but to serve the people and see her dead.  
"Please tell me you'll keep it a secret." Merlin pleaded. Gwen looked at Freya for a moment, it was a lot to ask of her, of Gwen, but he already knew that. The secrets between Arthur and the maidservant were few to none. Most of what happened in the past, the secrets she had kept, were out in the open.  
"I'll keep quiet." Gwen said for Freya's sake. The girl's change would remain inside those walls like an embarrassing moment, like Gwen had kissed Merlin, like Arthur once lost to Morgana, like nothing had ever happened.

**Saturday**

Saturdays were the better days in the Arthur's, or rather Merlin's schedule. The King had a right to have a day off and that meant he would spend his time how he wanted to, with _whomever_ he wanted to. Which wasn't Merlin, Arthur had had enough of him and the manservant would only get in the way. There was a chain of cause and effect. Arthur's days off became Merlin's days off, and since Arthur wanted to see Gwen on his days off, Gwen would ask Morgana for those days off which made those the very same days the days that Morgana would have a day off. A most pleasing result as all four of them got to spend quality time with the ones they cared about most.

"_Flíetee!_" Morgana chanted and the small gem began to float in the bucket of water. Merlin looked at her with a great deal of pride for such a simple spell. On Saturdays like these, when almost no servants roamed the castle, magic was their guilty pleasure.  
"It's curious." Morgana stated but then again, Merlin could be clumsy at times, such a spell came in handy.  
"Like Arthur said, I drop things." Merlin replied remembering the Prince's excuse for having Gwen 'run his errands'.  
"I meant Freya." She clarified.  
"Oh, how so?"  
"On the first day you could barely contain her and yesterday she did so herself for Gwen's sake." Morgana mused.  
"With what she's lost, she knows the worth of what she's fighting for. I just hope it'll be just the two nights." Merlin agreed,  
"I hope you're right, she's suffered enough." Morgana sympathised.  
"And then some." He added.  
"Sorry?" It was Morgana's turn to look confused.  
"This whole thing began because she couldn't control her magic." Merlin said though Morgana knew what was implied.  
"You want to teach her?" The Lady concluded.  
"_Us_, I want _us_ to teach her. And only if she's willing." There was something about that sentence, or rather the way he said it, that made it seem right. _Us_, perhaps he was starting to think of them as more than just two people being together, perhaps it meant that there was more between them than laughs and kisses, that their love was true enough to last a lifetime.  
"Give her some time to find her place first, it's a lot to take in."

Freya woke in her own bed though the last thing she remembered was resisting the change and falling asleep in Gwen's home. Home, not the metal of iron bars she feared. Gwen didn't know before and now she did, had this changed their friendship into something else? She wondered if she should go to the castle for work or if Merlin and Gwen had taken care of things for her. Nonetheless, there was no reason for her to stay in bed any longer, she wanted - no, needed answers. If the new dresses in her closet were any indication, she wouldn't have much to worry about.

Although it was Saturday, people in the streets of Camelot were as busy as ever. Less people worked on Saturdays with the exception of merchants, for them the Saturday was when those who usually worked on regular hours had time to buy what they needed and so they provided. It took a while for Freya to cut through the crowd but when she got the citadel, it was surprisingly quiet. She first went to the court physician's chambers but Merlin didn't show. Gaius informed her about the usual business on Saturdays and that she actually had the day off. After leaving a message with Gaius she spent the rest of the afternoon with Geoffrey reading.

When she was home that evening she talked with Merlin _and_ Gwen. Things were going to be alright after all.

**Sunday**

Merlin and Morgana were at Freya's again and this would hopefully be the last time she would change. The ordeal with Gwen made them fear the clock had been rewound. The town bell, not the warning bell, rang and their hearts sped up. Calming Freya, taming the Bastet, was almost becoming a ritual of sorts. T/he girl in question kept looking at her hands while Merlin and Morgana kept making things up that would calm her. The twelfth chime passed and nothing happened. She had changed six times in seven days, this would hopefully be the last time. As fate would have it, today of all days, the bells rang too early.

Seconds turned to minutes and Merlin shared a confused look with Morgana. Time passed and he shared another look with his love before going outside to find an explanation of sorts, leaving Freya and Morgana behind.

Freya nervously leaned back against the wall by her bed while Morgana did the same at the opposite side of the room. That was until Freya realised something.

"Monday!" The former druid girl exclaimed and Morgana stood up straight, she didn't know why it was important but Freya's voice spoke volumes of it.  
"What?" She asked for an explanation as Freya approached her but at that moment the girl was not one for words and hugged Morgana.  
"You gave me my life back." Freya cried tears of joy as if she had been saved from certain death. Morgana's mind caught up with what was going on and carefully put her arms around the young girl.  
"It's alright." Morgana whispered back. The Lady of Camelot was surprised by her own feelings. When all this began, she thought she'd be glad when all this was over because she would have Merlin all to herself again.

Now, things were a little different. She was still glad that it was at an end but the reason had changed radically. She was glad Freya was no longer cursed and having Merlin all to herself didn't seem as important as before. Maybe, just maybe, Freya could be friend for life.

* * *

**AN:**

Yay, I'm not dead yet! Not that I was at risk or anything ... Just a little writer's block, I haven't posted anything for far too long so this chap is a bit rough around the edges.  
At Arysthae: Kind of difficult with her family dead and it wouldn't be unlikely for people in her hometown to know she's cursed. She'd probably be run her out of the village. People were very superstitious and unforgiving back then.

Next chapter is Merlin/Morgana as before. As for Freya, she'll be a _recurring character_ like Gaius.  
The reading lessens might have come as a surprise though I was more surprised that (in the series) Merlin already knew how to read and write, a valuable skill in those days.

The philosophy behind lifting the curse:

Staying humane from dusk to dawn embodies her journey from Bastet (darkness & moon) to human (light & sun).

Sunday brought this sun and so that day was the day that the curse was lifted.


	10. The Lady from Gedref

**AN:** Argh, my chapters keep ending up way bigger than I intend them to be.

But thanks for the alers, the favs and **thank you very much for the reviews!**

* * *

**The Lady from Gedref**

It was early in the morning when a man carried an unconscious woman, nobility judging by her clothing, through the gates of the great city that was of Camelot. Sir Leon was merely doing his round when he noticed his distress and came to their aid, and immediately saw the woman hadn't just fainted but was not well at all. They hurried to the physician's chambers where she was laid on a bed for the court physician to examine her. Her skin was pale and dry, almost brittle when Gaius touched it. Her hair was a chestnut brown, her lips a soft red and her cheeks a bit gaunt though that could be attributed to her current condition. Altogether she was a noble by blood and beauty.  
"Dehydration." The physician concluded his examination. "All she needs is water. Merlin?"  
Gaius' ward passed him an unfinished cup of water from breakfast which he then gently poured into her mouth, letting her reflexes take it in.  
"We won't see any immediate improvement but given a day, maybe two, she'll be fine." The physician tried to put the man at ease. The still unnamed noble sighed in relief and sat down on one of the benches.  
"Might I ask for your name, sir?" Sir Leon asked.  
"J.. Jared, I... I'm a servant in the household of Lady Luna Meer." He explained.  
Sir Leon wasn't uneducated and had a vague idea of who the Meer family was. "That sounds rather familiar, are you from Gedref?"  
"That we are, the Meer family owns a great deal of land near the harbour." The servant replied.  
"I shall inform the King of your arrival." The Knight said and then left them in the hands of the capable court physician.  
"What happened?" Merlin asked the Lady's servant.  
"With the lands of Gedref in constant dispute and my Lady's desire for peace, she took the initiative and wanted to make for Camelot. We were attacked and the Lady Luna fled. She was lost until I found her and we made for Camelot. I had no idea she was in such a bad shape until she fainted." He explained most guilt-ridden.  
Part of Merlin recognized himself in the other servant and thus replied. "She's going to be alright, Gaius knows what he's doing."  
Jared gave it a shy smile but the only thing he cared for at this point was Lady Luna.

When Merlin entered the King's room with his breakfast, his royal highness had one of his moods again.  
"Merlin, you're late." His royal pratness stated annoyed.  
"We had guests."  
"More rats scurrying under your bed?" Arthur replied and Merlin wondered how much the following would affect Arthur.  
"Lady Luna Meer."  
Arthur's ears shot up at the name much to Merlin's amusement.  
"You know her?" Merlin asked.  
"The Meer family is one of the wealthiest in Camelot. They own most of Gedref's fishing and shipping. Oddly enough our ties with them have never been very strong, it's rare for them to even send us a letter." He summarized for his servant.  
"We don't know what has happened yet. Gaius said she's dehydrated but she'll regain consciousness soon." The physician's ward explained. Arthur raised his eyebrows at another surprise but it was of course for the best.  
"Good, then you can get busy with polishing my armour while I eat my breakfast. Hurry up though, I've got sword practice in an hour."  
"Yes, Sire." He faked a smile.

After the King's practice, which was by far more exhausting for his manservant, Merlin had little less than an hour before tending to the King's supper. He looked at Lady Luna as he poured the last of the water from the cup. She swallowed and began coughing, her eyes opened though tears still obscured them from sight. When she wiped away her tears, he saw that her eyes were an eerie bright blue that reminded him of Nimueh.  
"Where am I?" She asked or rather demanded to know.  
"Camelot.- Milady." Merlin hastily added her title though given her current state she probably wouldn't notice. The woman wearily took in her surroundings, the physician's chambers.  
"How do you feel?" He asked and she turned back to the raven haired boy, claiming her attention.  
"Where's Jared?" She asked for her servant by name, at least she remembered as much.  
"He sat by your side most of the time, worrying. I sent him upstairs to eat, hopefully it'll take his mind off of it for a moment. Now, how do you feel?" Merlin insisted.  
"Tired." Was all she had to say but, as with the King, sometimes you had to ask for more.  
"Anything else, hungry or thirsty?"  
"Both."  
Merlin poured another glass of water from the jug for her and replied. "Here, it's probably best you drink a lot. I'll go get you something to eat."

Gaius forbade everyone but Merlin, Arthur and, of course, Jared to enter his chambers although the King did not visit their unfortunate guests. The lower town picked up on things and rumours were running rampant. Initially they thought Lady Luna to be a wealthy woman who had merely fainted but things were a lot more juicy with the knowledge that she was of the noble Meer family. Gossip about the Lady Luna also reached the ears of the Lady Morgana and she welcomed the thought of there being another woman in the castle. At the end of the day, before everyone turned in for the night, they moved her to the already prepared guest chambers.

When Gwen and Morgana went to the lower town, as was usual, they were surprised to stumble upon the still somewhat mysterious Lady from Gedref accompanied not by Jared but Freya.

"Milady." Freya curtsied, an example quickly followed by Gwen, and the two nobles looked at each other, recognized each other's stature effortlessly.  
Lady Luna was the fastest of the two. "You must be the Lady Morgana."  
"Indeed I am, Lady Luna. I did not know you had recovered so swiftly."  
"Nor did I expect so myself. My servant, Jared, can be a bit overprotective so I had Freya send him on a merry goose chase. Then I... snuck out."  
"Some would say you're abusing your servants."  
"Freya seemed to enjoy doing it." Luna cheekily replied and the girl in question dropped her jaw, their innocent little secret was out.

Lady Luna later joined the Pendragons for supper and she explained to them what had happened to her and her servants. Merlin always kept an eye out for anything particular but Jared acting a bit uncomfortable was normal considering it was a painful memory. Later that night Merlin visited Morgana again and it came as no surprise that not only the Morgana and Luna has gossiped but Freya and Morgana had as well. She had bathed three times that day which was excessive even for those who were keen to be clean.

Another day passed by and while their guests were perfectly wonderful people, it didn't fit. Lady Luna hadn't made any requests, not about her return nor any in favour of her Jared, her servant. It was the thought that claimed his mind during the King's dinner, which he of course had to attend. Whilst the King talked with his guest, the warlock's mind was interrupted by a strange high-pitched noise he kept hearing and just couldn't place, not what made it nor where it came even came from. Slight concern came over him when Morgana retreated to her chambers early due to a headache, it was quite possible she faced the same issue. Gwen looked after her as Merlin removed her plate and cutlery, the noise gone for the moment, whilst Arthur was going on about the tournament where he fought Knight Valiant. Walking away from the table he heard the noise once more only much clearer this time. Turning around he knew that what he heard was impossible but it was there without a doubt; singing. Lady Luna was talking but at the same time he could hear her sing in a high pitched tone of voice, the words seemed foreign to him but it's beauty not lost to his ears. No one else must've heard the singing which made the wheels inside his head turn and 'click'. Merlin turned around again before anyone would notice he was staring and went back into his role of a servant.

After dinner Merlin first returned to Gaius and explained what had happened. The former practitioner of the Old Religion frowned like he had done so many times before. Pulling the bestiary from the shelve Merlin knew it really was that time again. Gaius flipped through the pages looking until he found one bearing the image of a woman atop a rock in the middle of the sea, being worshipped by men below her.

Merlin frowned at the image. "Gaius, I don't think she's a Mermaid."  
"No, but she's a Siren and they are kin." Gaius explained.  
Merlin didn't quite understand why he had the book open on the wrong page and thus childishly replied "The '**S**' is for 'Siren', _that's _what we're looking for."  
"Merlin, " Gaius' voice betrayed his annoyance though his frowning spoke volumes already "the Sirens are not in the bestiary and we have little time as is."  
The warlock sighed and Gaius began to read out loud.  
"Here, the Mermaid's song may enchant both men and women. Their song may be sang in silence although less volume does have less effect. The words of the song are ancient but those who hear it will hear their own tongue. This excludes people with formidable magic, they may hear these ancient words but are not immune to them, though they are more resistant." Gaius read and it made sense that Luna sang whilst she talked, they were more evolved.  
"But why are they here? Who is she really?" Merlin asked.  
"Perhaps the Meer family has been evading Uther for a reason." Gaius reasoned and Merlin understood as well.  
"They're all like her." He concluded. "Could she be after Arthur?"  
"There's little doubt she isn't." Gaius said, raising his eyebrow again only this was his 'worried' brow.  
"And Jared?" Merlin asked.  
"The poor man has probably been enslaved." Gaius sympathised, as did Merlin. Every person was the child of a mother and father, sometimes there would be siblings which they would hold dear. Jared's family would be worried and Merlin would see to it that nothing of the sort would come to pass in Camelot.

Merlin hurried up the stairs to his accomplice who did not expecting him for at least another hour or so. Formalities were necessary in the corridor but once inside they could drop the pretence of inequality.  
"Early or eager?" Morgana asked with a coy smile until she noticed his distress. The Lady of Camelot was referring to the magic lessons he still gave her after dinner, oddly enough Freya had refused his offer for the time being. The woman in the lower town said she had not the time for it. This came as quite a surprise though Gaius later revealed she spent most of her time learning to read which was an even greater surprise considering her tutor was Geoffrey of all people.  
"I'm not here for practice. I'm here because Arthur might be in danger." Merlin explained but to the Lady that was hardly clear enough.  
"How?" She inquired.  
"She's a Siren, she bathes so much because they're kin to Mermaids, during dinner I heard her sing when no one else did-"  
"I merely heard some high-pitched noise." Morgana interjected.  
"I suspect your magic is almost powerful enough to hear it but not just yet. I fear she's trying to enchant Arthur for her own good."  
"Then I assume you've got a plan."  
"More or less. I just need you to keep Arthur safe while I go after her."  
"I've been meaning to annoy him." She smiled coyly and set off to interrupt his royal pratness and probably her maidservant as well.

The only courteous act he gave the Lady from Gedref was knocking on her door before entering, after that he didn't bother with any frivolities. The Lady Luna seemed to be packing the little belonging she had as if she were leaving but that did not put him at ease at all, it was the exact opposite. She had used her abilities in Camelot and now she was preparing to leave, it only made him more nervous for the devastation she planned to leave behind.  
"Why are you really here?" Merlin asked without preamble.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." She said light-heartedly but this only made him more suspicious because she didn't put him, a servant, in his place for talking like that to a lady.  
"You're risking a lot considering you're only half human." It was cocky of him to say so but her retort was most unexpected.  
"So are you." She smiled cheekily knowing full well she had the upper hand.  
"If it's Arthur you want, don't. He's not his father, given time he will see magic isn't evil." Merlin tried to convince her but her face broke out into a grin.  
"Do you even know what I am?" She asked.  
"A Siren, you evolved from Mermaids, how does that come in to it?" The warlock asked confused and the Lady Luna continued.  
"And what does legend tell of a Mermaid's charms?"  
"They steal the hearts of sailors with their song as their ships pass by." Merlin recalled the folklore from when he was a child.  
"_As their ships pass by_." Lady Luna repeated him, implying that it had more significance. Then he realised. In stories, sailors would do all sorts of things to keep themselves from hearing their song. Depending on the story, their solutions would range from silly things such as plugging cheese in their ears to the more successful ones where they tied themselves to the mast. Throughout these tales one thing remained the same, the men were enchanted within minutes and that was exactly what she was telling him. She'd been in Camelot for days, dined with the king for hous, she could've enchanted the King days ago, probably within seconds.  
"You're not after Arthur." He stated incredulous.  
"Of course I'm not. We're wealthy, always have been, and very few know the truth about me and my family." She said though there was a hint of sadness in the statement.  
"Then what's so important you would risk coming to Camelot?" Merlin asked.  
Lady Luna's face turned grim and concerned.  
"Family." She said. "Truth is we're dying, our lineage is coming to an end."  
"I'm sorry but what about Jared, what about _his_ family?" He demanded to know but it might not have been wise to say it the way he had.  
"WHAT do you take me for, a Mermaid?!" She spat. The Lady Luna still had a sense of decency and was greatly offended by his assumption. "Jared is a FREE MAN. We haven't made _the promise _for generations, it is forbidden. How would we be able to live in the open if we turned brothers and husbands into mindless thralls? People would surely have taken notice."  
Merlin felt a bit silly but how was he supposed to know?  
"It..." She was reluctant to say it, she was still a Lady after all, and moved a bit closer to him. "We need your help."  
Merlin didn't quite understand why she had travelled to Camelot for _his_ help. Why him? How did they even know about him?  
"_My_ help?"  
"You are Emrys, after all." She said, which was little to no explanation.  
"I can't leave Camelot." He could sympathise but his destiny, or whatever was left of it, was in Camelot. It had never spoken of the Sirens and he couldn't imagine that it would.  
"P... Please, I... I beg of you." That sentence, those words, showed that she would put her pride aside for the greater good. A highborn Lady literally begging him for help, it was almost surreal but apparently 'Emrys' had such an effect on people.  
"I'm sorry but I have to protect Arthur." He repeated much to his and her dismay. She merely nodded and placed her hands on his shoulders as if to hang on to him. Then, all of a sudden, her hands crept up to his head and she pulled him into a one-sided kiss. Released by her lips and hands, he felt different. He was still standing but paralyzed. His heart was pounding in his throat and his hands were shaking.  
"I'm so sorry." She said and grabbed two bags, all of her belongings, and went into the corridor, leaving him behind in the guest room.  
It took a few minutes before he could move again and he knew something was wrong. He did the first thing that came to mind, to tell Gaius what just happened. Her kiss had done something to him, he could feel the magic course through his veins like poison. He had refused helping her so it might very well be just that.

The warlock stormed into the chambers of his guardian and mentor, completely out of breath. Gaius wasn't too concerned about his ward since he was also the King's manservant, a job that made his double-life quite exhausting at times.  
"Ah, Merlin. Lady Luna seems to have left. I don't suppose you have anything to do with that?" Gaius spoke with pride, as if the matter had been dealt with but it wasn't as clear cut as that.  
Merlin didn't know what was going on with the tingling feeling of magic running rampant inside him. He talked as if there was no time to lose. "She didn't want Arthur, she wanted me, my help, from the beginning. She even knew I was Emrys. I turned her down, told her I couldn't leave Camelot and for some reason she kissed me and said she was sorry."  
"Merlin, _why_ did she need your help?" Gaius asked slightly panicked.  
"Family, lineage coming to an end." It was difficult for Merlin to think very clearly but neither had she been very clear about why she need him in the first place.  
Gaius seemed deep in thought for a moment and made up his mind. "Merlin, trust me and stay here."  
"Eh... okay." Merlin answered confused and Gaius left the room. Another feeling came over him, it was something of a pulling sensation as if he had to be somewhere. The truth dawned, _the promise_, her kiss had enchanted him so he would have no choice but to come to her aid _and_ do anything she tells him to. Guards burst into the room and grabbed him roughly.  
"What is wrong with you? Gaius! What the hell is going on?!" Merlin shouted as they took him from the physician's chambers.

The King called for Gaius for the most obvious of reasons. The Court Physician had to answer for his actions regarding his ward but he said that an explanation would present itself, should the King visit his manservant after dinner. However, Arthur did not expect it to be such a dramatic one.

"I need to find Luna! I love her and she needs my help!" Merlin was raving like a madman. Arthur gave Gaius an incredulous look, this wasn't like him at all.  
"The Lady Luna was a Siren." Gaius explained and Arthur looked even more surprised though more about her choice of a victim.  
"Surely they wouldn't need _him_. He's but a servant and not even a very good one." The King's humour was lost on all of them though it was a valid argument.  
"Sire, Merlin is my apprentice as physician but given my past, the Siren may have seen him as something else as well." The physician explained though that was far from the truth.  
"A sorcerer's apprentice. But what would they need a sorcerer for?" Arthur wondered and Gaius provided the answer.  
"I've looked through a few books and it seems that, unlike Mermaids, Sirens can't... procreate with ordinary men." The physician explained and Arthur felt disgusted. An illustrious and mystical Siren wanted to abduct a sorcerer to 'procreate' with him was disgusting. Their mating habits also gave away how she found him, Emrys. The song of a Siren would resonate off of anyone with magic and with Merlin would've resonated for ages.  
The King nodded at one of the guards who opened the cell door. Arthur wanted to see if he could have a decent conversation with the manservant, face to face, but Merlin immediately tried to flee and when Arthur tried to stop him, the manservant began flailing his arms at everything that moved. Because he put his arms where they did not belong, the guards moved to protect their King and pushed the manservant back and shackled him to the wall. It seemed a cruel measure but apparently necessary as it seemed the curse had made him violent as well. Gaius held his breath for Merlin could easily undo the restraints with a single spell but even an enchanted Merlin could reason that showing magic could easily get him killed and prevent him from ever 'helping' Lady Luna.  
"What happens now?" Arthur sighed.  
"I'll look for a remedy for the curse but I fear he will either have to break out of it on his own or perish, regarless of answering her call."

The imprisonment of the King's manservant first reached Morgana's ears, she was furious. It wasn't until Gwen relayed what had happened and why he was in the dungeon that she her anger was soothed. The Lady's maidservant had tried to keep things from her but Morgana knew her too well and saw the guilt on her face whenever she did so. One by one the horrific details were dragged out of her and Morgana became increasingly worried about her love. The story had gone from _"he's being kept safe for he might be cursed"_ to _"he's imprisoned because he's cursed to yearn for a Siren who wants a child though he'll probably die."_. Once Gwen had left, Morgana looked at the mirror with her hands clenched and her nails digging into her skin trying to keep herself from crying. It was hard to hear that your love craved for another but he was cursed and she was determined to fix it.

Morgana went down to the dungeons but did not go to Merlin's cell or even pass it by. She went lower, to a place Merlin told her to avoid, to meet someone he did not want her to meet. She didn't listen, he should've known she wouldn't. What would their love be if she did not try to make things right. She might make the wrong choice but she would make it for the right reasons, or as she liked to put it, _damn the consequences_. Through the passage and past another corner she found herself in a cavern, there was hardly any other word for it, standing on the edge of a cliff.

"Hello?" Morgana's voice echoed through the cavern. Somewhere she did hope that Merlin had lied about what lived below the citadel, like a story to scare children. But there it was, a great beast soaring through the air, announced by the rattling of chains moments before she saw its yellow eyes and scaled skin. The majestic creature landed on the platform before her, a small gap between them.  
"What do you want, witch?" Morgana was taken aback by the dragon's open hostility but the mere fact that it could speak had done that already.  
But now was not the time to tarry or cower in fear, it was time for resolve. "A Siren has enchanted Merlin."  
"And?" The ancient beast had merely raised an eyebrow in defiance as if it weren't his problem.  
"I need to know how it can be broken." Morgana found herself a bit more confident now that they were conversing like human beings.  
Kilgharrah did want to save Merlin, he had not forgotten the warlock's importance, but he did not want to help Morgana. There was, however, still something he could gain from it.  
"I will tell you on one condition. That you promise me that you will release me."  
She had to think about it for a moment. The dragon was imprisoned by Uther, who had left, and told Merlin that Arthur was destined to be the King that would bring magic back to Camelot. It was old, wise and a little bit arrogant by the looks of it. But at that moment none of it mattered, Merlin did.  
"I promise. Now please, tell me how I can save him."  
"The Siren's spell can only be broken by the one who fulfils her promise, the Siren herself cannot." After that the dragon began it's ascent before Morgana could process what he'd told her.  
"Wait, how? I don't understand!" She shouted but the dragon's riddle proved to be as bothersome as Merlin made them out to be.

Arthur didn't take things very well either. The King thought himself quite aware of Merlin's influence in his life, mostly of the times he saved him. It was true that Arthur could worry about his manservant more than was natural but that was because they did things that weren't natural, hunting a vengeful spirit being one of them. It kept him from thinking straight and thankfully there were others that kept him from doing anything rash.  
"We should head out in force and deal with them." Arthur spoke vindictive. He wanted to invade Gedref but his uncle wouldn't let him, he had fought during the purge and would not see his nephew's rule come to an early end.  
"It won't be just the Sirens we'll face but also the innocent you'll have forced them to turn against us." Agravaine reminded him.  
"Then what would you have me do?" The King raised his hands in frustration. He wanted to avenge his friend, put things right, anything but sit on his sorry ass and watch him suffer.  
"We can't do anything. We depend on them for far too many goods and supplies." And in that his uncle was right, they did rely on Gedref's shipping business, the very same one the Meer family controlled.

The dragon was a secret kept from both Gwen and Freya but Morgana couldn't figure out the riddle on her own, she had to talk to someone, and in this moment she felt more kinship to Freya than Gwen, possibly because she knew Merlin's importance in the greater scheme of things. Freya was well aware of Merlin's condition and, much like Morgana's maidservant, she tried to comfort her. The upside of talking with Freya was that they hardly had to keep things secret from each other, the downside was that, unlike Gwen, Freya did not have any wine to numb the pain a bit.  
"He told me that the Siren's spell can only be broken by the one who fulfils her promise but I don't understand what it means." Morgana knew the answer laid in the dragon's words and it was as if it was on the tip of her tongue but she just couldn't figure out what it was.  
"I thought her spell _was_ 'the promise'." Freya tried to think along but...  
"That's even more confusing." Morgana replied and silence followed. They didn't seem to be getting anywhere and both tried to think of something for several minutes until one of them gave up.  
"Have you seen him yet?" Freya asked, breaking the silence.  
"No. Gwen told me it might be better if I didn't. Have you?"  
"I could, but... Merely the door to the dungeons makes me nervous." Imprisonment was still Freya's greatest fear and time probably wouldn't heal it for a very long time. "What did Gwen tell you?"  
"That he wants to see Luna. And he says... he says he loves her." Morgana voice croaked, pained that he had spoken of loving another.  
"The Promise." Freya almost whispered but there was something in the way she said it that made Morgana look up at her. "She promised him love but she doesn't love him, YOU do."  
"So I have to show him love... or give him love. It doesn't mean I have to _make_ love to him, right?" Morgana asked unsure. Speaking of the act was embarrassing though she would do a hell of a lot to break the spell upon her love. The idea of doing it while he was in the dungeons and restrained was the most perverse thing she'd thought of in years.  
"Maybe you should start small. With a kiss?" Freya suggested and Morgana chuckled.  
"That would wise, yes."

Walking down the steps to the dungeon and past the guards, she felt a weight on her shoulders. Was this how Merlin felt before saving the world? She was so nervous and it wasn't the good butterfly kind either, it was the vomit-on-the-ceiling kind. Seeing Merlin in his cell, restrained like Gwen told her, didn't help either. Thank the gods that he was sleeping and not acting like a lunatic.

_"Oncluce the."_ The door clicked softly and Morgana entered without any trouble. The restraints on Merlin's arms didn't leave him much room but could sit and sleep decently. Was this what it would be like if Arthur found out about his magic? _"Poor, sweet Merlin."_ she thought and softly stroked his cheek.

His eyes opened, his body shocked and shouted "Don't touch me!" Morgana backed away from his intense reaction with tears in her eyes. The violent response sent a shiver through her spine, he wouldn't even let her touch him. Then she saw his eyes, they weren't their regular shade of blue, they were completely red.

But an idea came to mind. She undid his neckerchief as he kept an eye upon her and then, despite his struggling, managed to blindfold him with it. He kept shaking as he didn't want her to touch him at all. Still inside his cell she closed the door and he seemed to relax. She moved back to him, careful not to make a sound, and lowered herself to his level. She wanted to touch him, cup his face or run her hand through his hair, but she knew that he would react and keep him from kissing her. She carefully leaned forward and softly pushed her lips against his. Her tender kiss led to a more instinctual kiss, partly his doing which meant a lot.

Morgana broke the kiss without meaning to and just when she thought she ruined it all and were back at the beginning, he spoke.  
"Morgana," Hearing him speak her name, even with sorrow and regret, made her feel as if she were brought back to life. "I'm so sorry." He said as she undid the blindfold and saw the tears running down his cheeks.  
She sat down on his lap, laid her head on his shoulder and whispered "I know."  
For a while she just held him and that was all she wanted. When she left and went to bed, she had unknowingly taken something with her. It was only when she changed for the night that she found it and it helped her through the night.

The next morning Morgana hid the little trinket in her sleeve, planning on giving it back to him as soon as possible. Arriving at the throne room she found Arthur in the presence of Gaius.  
"Sire, you will be pleased to know that Merlin is free of the Siren's enchantment." Gaius reported and Arthur sighed in relief, his friend's wellbeing had been a matter of great concern to him.  
"Thank you, Gaius." He replied and once the physician had left, Morgana couldn't help herself.  
"If I didn't know better, I'd almost say you care for him."  
"Thankfully, you know better. What's that?" He was pointing at the thing she kept in her sleeve and it had to be kept secret, which wasn't a problem for a strong woman such as her.  
"Interested in women's clothing? Are you looking for a present for Gwen?" She whispered softly since Agravaine wasn't supposed to know and Arthur's face showed a bit of a blush.  
"Never mind." He grumbled.

When he was released from the dungeon, Arthur couldn't help himself from making comments. He wondered if this was the 'kind of girl' that would be attracted to Merlin. It did sting the manservant a bit but he knew that the King meant well. It was what happened when the sun was down which was far more important than those few words.

"I wasn't sure you'd come." Morgana greeted him.  
"I remember what I did to you, it makes my heart ache. I love you and I can't bear the thought of losing you." The affair weighed heavily on his shoulders.  
"Merlin, we've been together for less than a year and already you've given me so much. You were there for me when I came into my magic and we've put our lives on the line, together, for what we believe in. Nothing will change the love I have for you."  
He was at a loss for words and stepped closer to her so he could hug her. It was a lengthy hug but she understood that he needed this more than she did, it had affected him more than her because he saw everything and couldn't do a damn thing about it.  
"I have something of yours." Morgana said as she took out a red piece of cloth from her sleeve, his neckerchief. Naturally he accepted it but there was a look of wonder on his face. The story that came with it was a bit embarrassing but she didn't mind telling it. "It smelled like you and helped me fall asleep." She confessed to his amusement.  
He found it in himself to kiss her again and replied "It smells of you right now but I doubt it'll help me sleep when you're more beautiful here than in my dreams."

Their flirting went on and on until it was time for them to go to bed though neither of the two wanted to leave the other alone.

Silence, all was well once more and if it weren't for the dreams, Morgana would have a good night's rest.

_"Morgana."_ She opened her eyes and looked around the room for the source of the low voice. Had she imagined it or had someone actually spoken? _"Morgana."_ The voice called once more. It wasn't just 'in the room', it was all around her and this time she recognized it. Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon. If memory served, the druid boy had brought his voice into her as well.  
"Yes?" She asked out loud, perhaps a bit foolish but the mind was curious thing and the dragon heard her reply.  
_"Fulfil __your__ promise and come to me with a sword."_ It spoke.  
"I'm not ready, I want to discuss this with Merlin first." She spoke out loud once more but through instinctual magic did the dragon hear her reply.  
_"Yet you did not even speak to him of your promise. He needn't know if you set me free."_ And in that the dragon was right. He was called 'The Great Dragon' and maybe Merlin would assume he had broken out on his own accord. He had cautioned her about the dragon and if she had made a foolish promise, he might not be so willing to teach her magic in future. Morgana dressed to decency and if anyone would ask, she was walking because she couldn't sleep. As for the sword, well, she just hoped they wouldn't notice.

This time the dragon did not swoop down before her but was already sitting on his little pedestal waiting for her.  
"I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time." He announced to which she merely nodded. "I will give you the magic you need to destroy the chains and once you have done so, you will have fulfiled your promise."  
When the dragon opened its jaws she raised her hands in defence, no magic to shield her from what she thought was his fiery breath, but the sensation of magic and knowledge flowing into her took her breath. She felt the magic and she felt as if she would burst. She looked up to him with awe, even a novice could tell that this magic was beyond powerful. Slowly she walked down the steps, sword in hand, and at the bottom she found the chains that confined him to the cold, damp cavern beneath the city.

The words, the spell, came to her without any difficulty since they were whispered into the ear moments ago. She swung her sword and chanted _"Ic bebeode þisne sweord þæt hé forcierfe þá bende þæra dracan. Un clýse!"_  
The chain broke and she was free of the bloated feeling that was the dragon's magic. The beast himself roared and began to its ascent. He would see the moon and breathe the air of night as he had done so many years ago, in freedom.

Morgana climbed the stairs with a smile on her face. She had set free a creature of the Old Religion. It was not right for such a magical being to be imprisoned, even if it was an arrogant one. Climbing the last flight of stairs, her room in sight, she heard a noise outside. People were shouting and her heart sank when she heard what they were saying.

"_My house is on fire! Help me- DRAGON!_"

She had released a vengeful dragon. Merlin would be angry with her or, even worse, disappointed.

* * *

**AN:**

A Mergana version of Sweet Dreams.

So, Sirens. I didn't want to make them absurdly powerful, that's why I gave them their own rules.  
Luna didn't play fair, some of you will hate me for it, though one has to admit she's not completely evil either. It's kind of a grey area and there'll be a lot more of that in future chapters.

We'll see the Siren again in the far future.

Now then, you can pretty much guess what's next but after that I can truly push my own plots.

One last thing, in 'The Fires of Idirsholas' Merlin used a sword from one of the knights of Medhir because it was crafted through the Old Religion. Wasn't the Sidhe staff powerful enough? So Morgana does it differently, done and over with.

Trivia:

The idea for the 'Meer' family comes from the movie Dark Shadows.  
'Luna' is Latin for Moon.  
'Meer' is the German word for sea and Dutch for lake.


	11. The Last Dragonlord

**The Last Dragonlord**

Screaming, so much screaming could be heard coming from the lower town. Tales of old spoke of the wisdom and nobility of the dragons but this tile would qualify for one of Uther's nightmare-bringing bedtime stories. The guards were evacuating the lower city with its wooden buildings. Whenever balls of fire from the dragon's breath would collide with the earth, it could be felt throughout the city and it was that which had awoken the warlock. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw from the citadel battlements. The lower town was burning, people were screaming and the dragon did not relent. Merlin's destiny had always spoken of protecting Arthur, the people of Camelot had not been spoken of. They had always been at risk, the people, as had happened with Cornelius Sigan, only now they would be up against the creature that had aided and guided him through his greatest trials. The fear that was plaguing his mind was the destiny he had broken, that all bets were off and that the fate of the people had become a ragdoll to the whims of the dragon. His thoughts wandered to Gwen and Freya, the Once and Future Queen and the former druid girl who sought a new beginning.

Then the warlock caught sight of the dragon and spoke his mind.  
_"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! You're killing innocent people!"_ It was Merlin's intent to make Kilgharrah see reason but there was none to be found.  
_"This is YOUR doing. Of YOU and the WITCH!"_ Kilgharrah roared as he turned towards the sorcerer and breathed fire once more.  
Merlin took cover from the flames whilst the dragon flew above the clouds. From the corner of his eye Merlin could see soldiers readying their crossbows, waiting for the beast to return. Then the dragon swooped down again and as the soldiers fired their bolts, Merlin casted the spell that let Lancelot slay the Griffin but none of it seemed to affect the dragon.  
_"Do not imagine that your petty magic can harm me!"_ The beast continued to taunt him and more fire scorched the white stone of the citadel. Merlin saw Gwen enter the courtyard and both heard Arthur scream her name. The dragon had begun his descent once more and dead set on the maidservant. Arthur was making a run for the woman to try and get her to safety. Merlin could see that they would be engulfed by the flames if he stood idly by. Whispers of the Old Religion shot the King forward in time for him to rescue his beloved in the least gracefull of fashions, bashing into her.

The dragon soared high once more, unaware of what had transpired. The King and his future Queen were safe for the moment and as the dragon went beyond the clouds for longer than was usual, it seemed they would have a momentary peace.

The throne room was absolutely packed. With so many wounded, the physician's chambers and all the guest bedrooms were completely full. The overflow laid in the throne room, usually with friends and family surrounding them. Arthur sat where he belonged, on the throne with Morgana on his left side and Agravaine on his right. In the past, Morgana always sat on the right side of the King but with Agravaine as the King's right hand, Arthur thought symbolism important. The trials for the Once and Future King had begun not too long ago. With Aredian's betrayel, the innocence of the druid girl and the conflict with the Lady Luna of Gedref, Morgana could almost see the wrinkles of age being chiseled into the King's face. Arthur put his hands on either side of his face as the Knights reported on casualties and strategic vantage points in the city.

One thing remained consistent on all accounts, the dragon remained unharmed by swords, spears and arrows. From what Arthur could gather from his father's 'Purge Journals' was that dragons had a natural armor that was highly resistent against both magical and physical abuse. With the dragon gone for the moment, Arthur commanded the Knights to help the people in the lower town whilst the peace would last. As the doors closed behind the red Camelot capes, Gaius stepped forward.  
"We need a dragonlord, Sire." Arthur cringed inwardly. They too had been described in the Purge Journals, included in their description were the means he had used to manipulate them.  
"Gaius, what exactly is a dragonlord?" Morgana asked.  
"The dragonlords were men who could talk with the dragons, tame them, command them. There was a kinship between them, one Uther thought too close to magic. He manipulated them and in the end had them all rounded up and slaughtered." The old physician was not fond of the memory. The deed was kept a secret, even from Gaius had he not disobeyed the former King. He had been ordered to stay in camp but these were Gaius' younger years and he had the same sense for adventure that Merlin had now. Now he wished he had followed the King's command because it could only be called one thing, a slaughter.  
"But?" Morgana inquired, for why else would he bring it up?  
"One of them survived and fled to Essetir." This news took both Agravaine and Arthur's full attention.  
"You said they were kin to the dragons, does this not make them sorcerers or kin to magic in some way?" Agravaine asked sharply.  
The physician did not like the direction this conversation was going but it was a fair question nonetheless. "In a way, it does."  
Arthur sighed or rather grunted. "Magic isn't an option, Gaius, you know the law forbids it. Why are you bringing it up?"  
"Because it may be the only way to stop him." Gaius adamantly urged him to listen.  
"Only way? Then how did my father slay them during the purge?"  
"Different times, Sire. Your father had the luxury, the necessity, of being able to pick the place where they would fight. Camelot is unsuitable for the methods he used."  
"I need to think on this, Gaius, you'll have an answer in an hour." With those words Arthur rose from the throne with Agravaine and Morgana following suit.

They went to the King's study, one of the few rooms without victims, where they could speak without prying eyes that could cause trouble.  
"Dragonlord." Arthur cursed. So far it had been the best plan, the only plan, that ensured some safety. "If I agree to this, publicly agree to this, others may see this as weakness. Breaking my fathers laws and may even be seen as betrayal."  
Gaius' suggestion was a strong one and would have been superb if Uther hadn't banned magic and executed all other dragonlords. He was torn to say the least.  
Contrary to both Arthur and Morgana, Agravaine, in his role as advisor, had actually read those laws. "Sire, you could use the very same laws instead. Our allies uphold the same law and are obligated to aid you in times of need."  
Arthur huffed, it wasn't an immediate solution but it could be the beginning of one. "We'll need all the help we can get."  
Morgana did not think the wisest course of action though she was a bit biased when it came to the ban on magic. But that wasn't the sole reason she opposed this plan. "Only it's the wrong choice." She said casually.  
"How so?" Arthur asked.  
"Have you looked outside recently? Camelot is burning, armies may march but the city will be lost long before they arrive." Morgana estimated it would take at least a week before reinforcement would arrive.  
Both the King and his uncle looked down nervously since she just trampled over all their faulty plans.  
"The dragonlord Gaius spoke of _is_ our only option." Morgana insisted.  
"My father didn't ban magic just for me to bring a dragonlord to Camelot. The other Kingdoms will be outraged. "  
"Cenred will go to war with us and it may even seem justified." Agravaine added.  
"Then don't give the order and just do it." Morgana stated. She had always been bold, bold enough to damn the consequences. It was an idea to be considered. The dragonlord, if willing, would solve their dragon issue and if no orders were given, the other kingdoms would assume he came on his own accord. Put like that it did seem perfect but there were still a lot of risks. First and foremost, being discovered in Essetir, it would be seen as an act of war and war it would surely bring. Secondly, the dragonlord might not be willing or, even worse, fight them. Lastly, the King of Camelot being seen with a dragonlord would arouse suspicions and tensions would rise.

A burnt down Camelot, on the other hand, was much more important.  
"We'll make for Essetir once the sun is down, let the night cover our departure." The King's words were not unwise save for a single assumption.  
"You can't." Morgana argued.  
"Will you make up your mind?" Arthur began to bickering when Agravaine cut in.  
"Sire, she means **YOU** can't. The people would surely notice their King's absence."  
Arthur sighed. He wished being King didn't mean so much sitting on his ass, missing out on all the action and adventure. "I assume you have a plan?"  
"I'll go." She stated plainly.  
"You and how many men?" Arthur inquired but not sarcastic, surprisingly.  
"Just me and Merlin." It would come as a surprise to the warlock but knowing who he was, it shouldn't be. She did hope, however, that it would be a pleasant one.  
Arthur visible needed to process the information. "Sorry? You and _Mer_lin?"  
She knew Arthur well enough to have foreseen it and had a logical answer he could not deny. "You need those men, every knight, every soldier. You'll need Gaius and Gwen to take care of the wounded."  
"And no one will notice you're missing?" Agravaine argued, or rather tried to.  
"I'll be the scared Lady of Camelot who locked herself in her room." She said with a cheeky smile.  
"Still, Merlin?" Arthur couldn't get over the fact that she had actually asked for his manservant to come along.  
"He knows more about magic than any of us. Knight Valiant, the banshee, he's capable of more than you give him credit for." Morgana had never spoken this highly of the physician's apprentice but it was truth, even truer beneath the lies.  
Arthur shook his head from left and right and up and down, trying to make up his mind. "Fine."

The decision had been made but still it was one that worried Gaius. He talked it over with his ward just after supper and was glad that the opportunity was there, that the dragon was yet to return.  
"The man you seek, his name is Balinor." Gaius began to speak of the subject.  
"Balinor." Merlin repeated. "And he was last seen in Engerd, right?"  
"Years ago, yes. He might not be there but the people may know where he is now." Gaius replied and the warlock nodded before showing a slight smile.  
"If Camelot wasn't burning, I might've thought about visiting mother." Merlin thought out loud and Gaius felt uneasy with the silence that followed. Did the boy know or was the thought unrelated?  
"Has your mother ever mentioned Balinor?" Gaius asked.  
"No, she hasn't. Should she?"  
"When he fled to Essetir, she took him in until they were on to him again. She's never spoken of him?"  
"No." Merlin replied softly with his mind elsewhere. _"She's never spoken of him?"_ Echoed through his mind and became something rather frightening. _"She's never spoken of whom?"_ His mother had spoken of a lot of people. Gaius, Uther, the Druids, and there was no reason not to. At one point Merlin had thought about learning from the druids but his mother had talked him out of it. A few months and incidents later, he was off to Camelot. Magic had never been a reason not to speak of anyone, so why did she not speak of Balinor? The only other person she never spoke of was...  
"No." Merlin repeated firmly. It wasn't denial but disbelief that made him say it. Things started to make sense. Balinor was a dragonlord, kin to magic, and Merlin had magic. His mother did not want him to learn magic from the _peaceful _druids because Balinor might've been moving amongst them.  
"Did he and my mother..." Merlin trailed off, it was too much to ask of him to say it out loud.  
"I believe they did. Which would make him your father."  
"How long have you known this?"  
"I promised your mother I would never speak of it."  
"I had a right to know!"  
"Your mother feared it would be too dangerous."  
"Too dangerous?" Merlin laughed nervously with tears running down his cheeks. "Ooh, because finding a missing person is more dangerous than vanquish an ancient sorcerer." He taunted Gaius, refering to Cornelius Sigan.  
"I did what was best for you. You could've forsaken your and Arthur's destiny, I couldn't just let you run off now, could I?"  
"Best for me? I've you had taken ONE LOUSY WEEK OUT OF YOUR LIFE, I COULD'VE GROWN UP WITH A FATHER!"  
The words stung Gaius but he did not believe he had made the wrong decision. Balinor wasn't one to stay in one place for very long. The man would have moved on from time to time and Engerd was a long shot at any information at all. Merlin, however, was not done talking.  
"Do you know the worst part of it? My mother's life was miserable because he wasn't there. To hear people call your mother a whore behind her back? And I couldn't do anything about it because I had to keep my magic hidden." That's what drove the warlock to tears, the impotence, the needless struggle. When other kids would bully him, he didn't retaliate even though he could so very easily. He restrained himself because he wasn't allowed to.

Gaius had hidden things from him. He knew about his father, about Morgana's dreams and magic, and he didn't want to him to reveal his magic to her. If he had done things Gaius' way, everything would have gone to ruin.  
"I am sick of your secrets, Gaius. Anything else I should know?" This, in turn, offended Gaius.  
"Don't speak as if you don't have secrets of your own." And that angered Merlin  
"My secrets don't harm anyone. Aredian died at the hands of a monster, a curse that plagued an innocent girl, the girl you know as Freya. I lifted the curse. Now tell me I was wrong to do so, tell me she should have died!"  
That was not the point of their conversation, this was Merlin wanting to hear he was better at making decisions than Gaius. The old physician saw no right answer. If she should have died, Merlin's would've been lost to the Siren. But her life had still come at the cost of others, the Bastet that had hunted during the night had made victims of its own.

There was no right answer and Gaius simply left the warlock alone in the hope that silence would bring him reason.

The rough leather of the animal's reigns in his hands brought the warlock to attention. They stood in the courtyard. Arthur, Gwen and Freya were there to see them off. The knights were busy along with Agravaine, who was coördinating them, and Gaius was busy tending to the wounded. In his mind, Merlin worried about Kilgharrah. The dragon was still out there and he blamed Morgana and him for everything... and nothing. 'Destiny' was broken but nothing exceptionally horrible had happened. Camelot was still Camelot and Albion was faring well so far. Whatever the dragon's motive, if he saw them leave there would be hell to pay.  
Despite being cocky, couragous and a complete prat at times, Arthur couldn't help himself. "Stay safe."  
"Don't get emotional on me, Arthur." Morgana playfully bantered.  
"I'm not." The King quickly replied. "I was talking to Merlin. I pity every man that travels with you."  
"I doubt traveling with me is as hazardous for him as traveling with you."  
"Just bring him back in one piece." The King ended on a serious note.

They went out the gates and reached the forest without any intervention from the dragon. The night and stars had provided the much needed cover for their escape from Camelot but the journey ahead was not without peril either. This night had fullfilled its purpose and Merlin and Morgana made camp without fire.

Morgana had tied the horses to a tree and sat down on a patch of grass.  
"Merlin?" She asked as he took the bedroll from his horse. "There's something I have to get off my chest."  
It occured to Merlin that although they were alone, she apparently felt that this could not be shared openly and without question. He brought his bedroll before her feet and rolled it out before sitting down on it. She was being vulnerable and not the I-love-you kind of vulnerable but the nightmare-from-hell vulnerable. The one that made him worry for her the most.  
She took a deep breath, trying to decide what to expect as a response. Angry, disappointed, betrayed or even disgust. The last of them was unlikely, she'd never really seen that emotion in him, but the other three were quite possible.  
With closed eyes she spoke. "I'm the one who released the dragon."  
"I know." He nodded. It seemed like he understood but that was all he said. He did not relate to her, not out loud, and she had definitely expected more of a reply than just two words. Did he disapprove?  
After a moment, she continued. "You... know?"  
"You're the only other person who could've done it. But why?" He definitely disapproved or at the very least questioned her decision, as if she really had a say in it. Thankfully he asked for clarification, he _wanted_ to understand.  
"When you were under the Siren's spell, I didn't know who else to turn to. He made me promise that I would free him."  
"Didn't need to be the same day." Merlin had refrained from argueing though she had been foolish to release the dragon without discussing it with him first.  
"I know, but that night it was like he got inside my head." She said and the warlock nodded once more. He knew the dragon could do that, it is what led to their first encounter. With all of his knowledge, the dragon could have played many tricks to get her to do it.  
"It's not your fault." Merlin said. "He's not a noble dragon from legend but selfish and stubborn."  
"You don't blame me?" Morgana sought affirmation for forgiveness .  
She had been fooled by the dragon just like had had been. The memory of Nimueh and the Cup of Life were still clear in his head. To save Arthur's life, a price would have to be paid. Understandably, the price was not a small one. The sacrifice was initially his mother. Merlin wasn't sure whether it was intentional or if Nimueh's lack of an offering victimized his mother. Not that it mattered anymore. What stuck with him was what Kilgharrah had said, how he saw her as someone with little importance. All he cared about was Camelot and destiny. The price to be paid could have been someone else. Gaius bargained with Nimueh for it, Merlin then sacrificed the witch instead. Kilgharrah, however, had not spoken one word of the matter. No riddle, no clue, the dragon had left his mother to die. Merlin had promised that Kilgharrah would never see the light of day. Was that why he had Morgana do it instead? If that was what drove Kilgharrah to do it, it was his fault instead, he should be the one saying sorry.  
"No, I don't. I've been in a similar position."  
She didn't ask what happened but he did tell her to stay away from him. He hadn't given a reason why but there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he was thinking about it right now.  
"Did something happen between you and Gaius? I noticed he didn't come to see you off." Morgana asked.  
The warlock shook his head. "No, I'm just a bit disappointed he wasn't there."  
The layers of emotions prevented her from seeing through the lie but maybe she didn't want to see it. They shared the bedroll under the pretense of being able to leave faster the next morning.  
"Does this remind you of anything?" Morgana asked.  
"You've lost me." Merlin said confused.  
With a menacing grin she whispered "Then let me remind you." She began kissing his neck like she had done before. The last time she had been so frisky was in the centaur encampment. He refused then, slightly in vain, because they weren't alone. But that wasn't on his mind, this time there was too little reason to hold back.

The warlock eagerly put his lips on hers and he was on top. Their love and agony had made Morgana yearn for him more than ever before. Nearly having lost him had changed her view on things and she now felt a certain neediness. Her hands roamed as they had done before, this time more on instinct than anything else. She pushed back his jacket and he complied by taking it off. Then he fumbled with the straps on her armour and she gladly took it off for him. Then she pulled his shirt over his head and he stopped.

Undoing his shirt had required them to break their kisses and reminded them of the reality of things. Were they to make love in the forest whilst Camelot would burn to ash?  
"We shouldn't be doing this." Merlin spoke out of breath as he recovered the discarded clothing.  
"I know." Morgana admitted it was wrong but that didn't mean she'd give up. When Merlin laid down besides her again, his back towards her to prevent temptation, she began spooning him again. Not wanting to repeat the pattern of kissing his neck, she instead wrapped an arm around him which only just slipped beneath his shirt. Oddly enough she had never noticed how pronounced those muscles of his were, never even seen them before, he had been keeping out on her. Merlin's hand came on top of hers but rather than pulling it away, he held it there and his thumb made small, soft circles instead. It was a different kind of intimacy but still a step closer to what she wanted to do.

Merlin was putting it off, hiding behind 'doing things proper'. He had told her that more or less because the truth felt so very petty. He was scared. Morgana knew exactly how to push his buttons and he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He thought she liked his touch, hoped she did, but going beyond making out... there wasn't _that_ much beyond making out. Even in his wildest dreams they had never gone this far. His greatest fantasy was the one in which she softly kissed his cheek and whispered perverted things in his ear before cheekily biting his earlobe, that's when he'd wake up and he never dare dream further. For now they would be alright but he wouldn't be able to put it off forever. Every time they slept in the same bed, or even something remotely similar, it was not only a trial to fight his desired but also a step closer to giving in.

The witch and the warlock arrived at Engerd early the next morning. Morgana wore commoner's clothing but it didn't keep her from being eyed at... by other men. Although none of them had even the slightest chance with her, it still stung him. Merlin went to the local watering hole, he didn't want to look at the villagers gawking at her. He asked about Balinor but none knew of whom he spoke. There were only rumours to be heard about beasts roaming the nearby forest of Merendra. Such was the life of common folk, gossiping was one of the few enjoyable ways of passing the time. Whether it was about the neighbours or the royal family did not really matter as long as it contained murder or passion, preferably both.

Where Merlin sought knowledge of the drunk and weary, Morgana took a different approach. Those who worked, lived by the day, they forgot what did not matter to them. Children, however, loved all things magical and like her younger self, they would always remember. It was not Balinor that they remembered, that name they had never heard before, but they recalled that a dragonlord roamed the forest several years before the rumoured 'beasts' arrived.

There was no discussion about searching the forest, only whether or not to bring the horses and in the end they decided not to. The forest of Merendra was no vile place but history had made its mark. The dry riverbed, dead trees and fallen branches told short story of conflict between clans. The clans themselves were struck down years ago but much like the trees of Merendra, fallen branches remained. Camelot had no more clans but the King of Essetir let those in his lands rise and fall with the tide, as long as they did not come close to the capital. The forest's battle wounds were from long ago and with birds making their nests, nature seemed to be tending the scars.  
"You don't think the beasts exist?" Morgana asked.  
"The villagers didn't seem all that frightened."  
Then a voice interrupted their seemingly private conversation. "You two are either very brave or very stupid to wander in these woods and I'm leaning towards the latter."  
A man was standing behind the shrubbery on the slope of a small hill. He had gone unnoticed because of the long, dark coat he wore and long, rough hair coloured like the bark of trees. His beard would have made him look dangerous but the angle of his thick eyebrows made him seem sad instead.  
"Because of these 'hungry beasts' of Merendra? They bother Engerd less than the wolves do." Morgana stated and, as if by magic, there was a low, hollow roar that could be heard throughout the forest.  
For a moment there was fear in their hearts and the bearded man continued. "You'd best follow me if you want to avoid the beasts of Merendra."

This stranger, whoever he was, was most likely the next step in their search for the dragonlord. The travelers from Camelot followed the bearded man to higher ground, a small cliff. There, the stranger knelt and looked down. Merlin and Morgana followed by example but did keep a distance between them in case the man got any funny ideas.

Soldiers, men of Essetir roamed the forest of Merendra.  
"Those are the beasts of Merendra." The beaded man spoke softly and was interrupted by the horn blowing of the soldiers below. They had blown it before and for no reason, they hadn't been spotted. This didn't keep the stranger from moving again and Merlin and Morgana followed. They went to a cave, a shelter of sorts, in which he had apparently made his home. A makeshift bed, a fireplace and an old worn chest.  
"You can stay here until nightfall but then you must leave." He sounded like one of Camelot's guards.  
Morgana could be very diplomatic if she wanted to but she found this stranger to be far to mysterious than she liked. "Is it you they are looking for?"  
"Like I said, you leave at nightfall." He was a bit angry now and Merlin put his hand on Morgana's upper arm, urging her to let it be for the moment. There was a fire in her eyes he had seen before, when men with power failed to act.  
"We're eating rabbit tonight. Don't 'help', all you'll do is attract the soldiers." The stranger said as he left the cave.  
Morgana turned to Merlin and she looked a bit angry.  
"Why did you stop me?" She was a bit cross with him for that.  
"Stop antagonizing him. If it _is_ him then we shouldn't make him our enemy."  
"All I wanted was his name." She said innocently. Merlin just shook his head. She was doing it again, the equivalent of his bantering with Arthur. Her emotions seemed to be capable of jumping from one extreme to another. At the start of their journey she 'jumped' from guilt-ridden to frisky and now from angry to trying to be funny.  
He took her hand and gently pulled her towards the fire. "Come, there's something I need to tell you." She raised an eyebrow, probably already sensing his distress.  
Sitting down, Merlin confessed. "Gaius and I had a falling out."  
"What about?"  
"Balinor and some other things but it started with Balinor." He said. The story began exactly as it had happened, with the idea of visiting Ealdor. When he got to the point of shouting at Gaius that he could've grown up with a father, he stopped.  
She understood why he hadn't let her antagonize him further but she didn't know what to think of his fight with Gaius.  
"You want to get to know him." It wasn't a question but he nodded anyway. He wanted to find his father so badly but if this man was him, he didn't know what to think of it. Merlin kept staring at their hands. They had begun holding hands at some point and, for once, it was him that felt safer because of it.

The stranger, presumably Balinor, was back. His heavy step had could be heard echoing through the cave.  
Morgana couldn't help herself "Ah, our mysterious host has returned."  
Balinor silently sat down opposite of her and began skinning one of the rabbits. Merlin followed his example, eerily enough in silence as well. Their gracious host grabbed a bucket and passed it over to Morgana.  
"Fill that up, will you." Balinor grumbled. Morgana stood up and did as she was told but not without a sigh of contempt.  
Merlin and Balinor were now more or less alone in the cave.  
"Where are you from?" Balinor asked.  
"North."  
"What village?"  
"Ealdor."  
Balinor visibly smiled and continued. "Does that scaly toad Skor still manage the mill?"  
Merlin remembered of whom he spoke, he was as fond of the man as Balinor was, but the memory did not make him smile.  
"A group of bandits led by a man named Kanen killed him." Merlin explained. It was one man that couldn't be saved, he had died before Hunith had even arrived in Camelot.  
"I'm sorry to hear that. How are things now?"  
"His daughter Arathea took over." She had only been a child when Balinor was last there and he became painfully aware of all the years that passed by. The sloshing of water could be heard and Morgana put the bucket of water besides the dragonlord. One question was burning on Balinor's lips.  
"What about Hunith? Does she still live there?"  
"Yes, she's... she's alright." Once more he couldn't bring himself to utter the words and set things into motion. How difficult could it be to tell him that she was his mother?  
"Good, good. Pass me that rabbit, will you?" He told Morgana what to do again. She handed him the little critter and he continued.  
"What's your story?" He asked her.  
"Same." She said and Merlin almost choked, that was her worst lie ever and Balinor saw right through it.  
"Liar." He said. "I can tell by the way you held that rabbit that you're not used to getting your hands dirty."  
"Give me a sword and I'll skin you alive." She defied him.  
"Stop it." Merlin cut in. "She doesn't want to share, just like you."

Merlin didn't like where this was going, his girlfriend bickering with his father - supposed father. That was the question left unanswered, one he would ask now.  
"She asked you a question first, one you never answered. Are those soldiers looking for you?"  
"They're hunting a rumour. If the hunted rumour suddenly haunts another forest, it's probably not a rumour. If it persists, it'll become folklore and will be left alone." Merlin had to fight rolling his eyes. Not only was this man a dragonlord, he had the same style of riddles as the bloody dragon.  
"So you're Balinor, the dragonlord?" Morgana asked and his face contorted.  
"Who are you?" He sounded threatening now.  
"Travelers." Morgana replied casually.  
"There are rumours of a dragonlord but you know _my name_." That confirmed their suspicions but his hostility was far from desirable. "Are you from Camelot?" Balinor spoke almost laughed whilst he said it and continued to taunt them. "Has that dragon finally escaped his bonds?"  
"Yes." Merlin admitted.  
Balinor chuckled "I would've liked to seen Uther's face, were he still in Albion."  
Morgana almost gave it a chuckle, she too would like to see that. The man would surely lose his mind at the very sight of it.  
"Does that make you Lady Morgana?" It seemed Balinor was no fool.  
"Yes." Morgana confirmed his suspicions believing more lies would only harden him against them. Balinor moved closer to her and whether it was curiosity or defiance did not matter to Merlin, he went and stood between them.  
"She's not like Uther. She's different, she's defended magic for years." He said and Morgana had put on an innocent face. She was quite the performer and now not even Merlin couldn't tell whether or not it was an act.  
"Morgana Le Fay." Balinor spoke to himself.  
"Pendragon." Morgana corrected.  
"Typical." Balinor scoffed.  
"What?"  
"To put his name on his ward and let the sands of time wash away the name of a decent family." Balinor was honest but there wasn't much beyond that. "I respect you and your family but I will not aid Camelot. That dragon wants vengeance for what Uther has done to his kind."  
Once more there was a rage inside of her, spurred by his unwillingness to help them. "He's killing innocent people! Women and children." Morgana shouted angrily.  
"Which is exactly how Uther persecuted us dragonlords! He'd find and hurt your wife or child and use them just to get to you. He killed thousands for the death of one, at least the dragon's vengeance is justified."  
"You want everyone in Camelot to die?" Merlin asked.  
"I had a life in Ealdor, I was beyond Uther's realm and he continued to hunt me like an animal. I never wronged him or the people of Camelot yet because of him I had to abandon what I had built, to run and leave behind the woman that took my heart. I am the last of my kind just like Kilgharrah, he's lost everything just like I have. All that remains is what you see, a man being hunted for the crime of existing at all. I'll be damned if I help him."  
Merlin clenched his fists and spoke. "Then how about your _son_? What if he lived there? Would you be 'damned' if you helped _him_?"  
Balinor frowned at the notion of a son. He wasn't sure if the boy was trying to get him to sympathize or if he knew something more.

The warlock finally found the strength to put what was in his heart into words."Hunith is my mother. She never found another man. I'm your son."  
Balinor was shocked. His eyes wandered the cave as if looking for an answer. Then they found and were fixed on the green eyes of Morgana Pendragon, that's how he saw her at that moment, he wasn't sure if she'd keep his parentage a secret.  
"Not a soul." She said with a small, reassuring smile brightening her gentle features.  
The dragonlord's eyes wandered back to the boy.  
"A son." He could barely get a word out as tears began to fall, tears of joy.  
What followed was a slow and awkward hug between father and son. Letting go and sitting down around the fire, there were so many things they wanted to ask or share and Merlin got there first.  
His voice was clear but the tears had remained on his cheeks "Will you help us?"  
"It is no longer Uther's kingdom, perhaps I should no longer see it as such." Balinor noticed he was being mysterious again and nodded in affirmation.  
Merlin looked at his feet for a moment for there was another question, one not as pressing but closer to his heart.  
"Why did you never come back to Ealdor?" He asked.  
Balinor sighed, he never though he'd have to answer that question, least of all to a son, _his _son. He had his reasons though. "I thought it would be safer, for her. Uther could still hunt me. Or if she had moved on, there would be no place for me."  
Merlin gave it a soft smile. "We should visit her once all this is over."  
"I doubt she'll recognize me."  
It struck Morgana as odd that Merlin, cheery, happy, wonderful Merlin, had a father who was his complete opposite.  
Merlin, however, wondered about his father's adventures. "What did you do while you were away?"  
"Travel. I've crossed the lands of the Fisher King, seen the Dwarven Stone and visited the Shardel."  
"I'd like to hear those stories some day."  
Balinor smiled to himself and was reminded of the state of things. "We should rest, there's a long day ahead of us."

Morgana was awoken by someone tapping on her shoulder. It was Balinor and he motioned for her to stay quiet and follow him, alone. At the entrance of the cave he put his back against the wall and turned to the Lady of Camelot.  
"How did you meet my son?" He asked and already Morgana knew where this was going. He would be thrilled to hear about his son's job. This first question did, however, make her feel like he was her father in law.  
"He saved Arthur's life and Uther made him his manservant. We kept bumping into each other after that."  
"My son is a manservant?" Balinor asked incredulous and Morgana could barely contain her amusement.  
"Most of Arthur's man servants barely lasted a week, Merlin's held the job for over a year now."  
"Doesn't sound like much of a King."  
"Still, when Merlin went back to Ealdor to protect them from bandits, Arthur joined him."  
"He helped protect Ealdor?"  
"I've seen him do it. Not everyone liked Arthur but he rallied them against Tauren. Arthur doesn't have many friends, Merlin is one of the few he genuinely likes."

Balinor was silent for a moment and just when she thought he was out of questions, he continued.  
"I understand that **you** are looking for me but why travel with my son?" Obviously she couldn't tell the truth, that she and Merlin had magic and were together, but there was a truth not so far away.  
"He may look ordinary but he's done more for Camelot than most knights ever will." That was praising him a bit high but it was how she saw him.  
"You're comparing him to a Knight?" To Merlin's father it seemed a bit surreal but so was the fact that he was traveling with Lady Morgana.  
Morgana described the warlock's importance as best she could. "He's Camelot's watchful guardian, Arthur's conscience, Gaius' hope, Gwen's inspiration, Freya's guidance and my... tranquility."  
"That's why you were holding hands?" She was taken aback by his answer, she thought they had been alone.  
"Yes. I was being... stubborn and he stopped me. He said I was 'antagonizing' you and I said he was too soft. Then he told me why."  
"He trusts you."  
"I'd never betray him."  
Balinor's curiosity had been sated and he began walking deeper into the cave once more.  
"Goodnight, Morgana."  
"Goodnight."

They group left the cave early in the morning. First, Merlin and Morgana went back to Engerd to get the horses and once outside the village, he took Merlin's. Morgana took the manservant on horseback. They made haste to get back to Camelot but it was night when the city was finally in sight. In the dark, it was difficult to see the dragon but it's fiery breath was clear as day. The dragonlord took lead and moved through the forest until they reached a large clearing.  
"Tie up the horses or we'll have to walk to Camelot." Balinor said as he dismounted and walked to the center.

When the dragonlord next spoke, his voice was low and seemed to echo through the air. The words were foreign to the witch and warlock although the latter recognized some of the words.

The dragon approached them from Camelot and did not seem all too eager to land, only it had no choice.  
"Balinor." The beast greeted its dragonlord.  
"Kilgharrah. " He replied coldly while Merlin and Morgana stood a few feet behind the dragonlord.  
The dragon let out a low growl and spoke. "I am the last of my kind. Whatever wrongs I have done, do not make me responsible for the death of my noble breed."  
Merlin's jaw dropped, how dare the dragon hide behind the near-extinction of his kind. "Noble breed? You're a disgrace to your own race!" The warlock shouted.  
"It is true. I sought a vengeance that was not mine and for that I am truly sorry."  
The dragon's reply was not to the satisfaction of the warlock. "Vengeance? ON WHOM?! Uther has left the whole of Albion and you're murdering innocent people of Camelot, the very same which YOU told me to protect."

Kilgharrah, _the great dragon_, was nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum. And he kept doing just that.  
"But if you had listened and the witch-"  
"Stop it!" Merlin interrupted him. "If I had listened to you, my mother would've died."  
Merlin's accusation sparked an anger within Balinor that he could barely contain.  
"What?"  
"It would've been for the greater-"  
"Bullocks!" Balinor followed his son's example. "I command you to leave these lands and let Arthur's Kingdom be for the rest of your life."  
The dragon frowned, if he could so such a thing, and flapped its wings without another word, not voiced in the world nor in their minds.

* * *

**AN:**

If it feels a bit rushed, it's because it is. I want to get past this thing and find myself some freedom. I've also changed text-editor to OpenOffice but it doesn't have a UK dictionary by default, very annoying.


	12. The Road Beyond Destiny

**AN: **

With the previous chapter being more or less a season finale, the following chapters will contain more familiar faces.  
Most chapters will still be about Merlin and Morgana but a few of them will revolve around other characters such as Freya.

In any case, with so many (season 2) annoyances dealt with, we begin with...

**The Road Beyond Destiny**

As Kilgharrah flew away, their eyes gazed upon him and, once he was gone, the star-filled sky. All they heard were the flapping of wings and when those were gone, complete silence.

Morgana's hand found Merlin's and their fingers intertwined. He didn't immediately understand why she did that but all it took was just one look. Serenity.

The last few days, the Siren's torture and the dragon tantrum that followed, had not been easy on her conscience. She had found peace of mind but, more importantly, she still had Merlin. The dragon had coaxed her to set him free, told her that the warlock needn't know, and then he attacked Camelot. Kilgharrah wanted Merlin to find out she set him free, that he would feel betrayed, but his little ploy failed.

She found herself closer to the warlock's heart than ever before. He trusted her enough to tell her about his parentage and she had spoken quite freely with her future father-in law. Merlin even spoke of nearly losing his mother because of the wretched creature. So much of his past was still shrouded in darkness and, quite frankly, she wasn't sure she even wanted to know.

Merlin's heart was beating as rapidly as Morgana's did. The dragon said that she was destined to be his enemy but the two of them had defied him, defied destiny, and this new world was theirs. Using his free hand he brought her head closer to his so he could speak the silent language of love with her. Well, almost silent since Morgana softly moaned as their tongues caressed each other.

Balinor, however, could hardly believe what he was seeing. His son was kissing Uther's former ward which was the nearest thing to a daughter. When the dragonlord fled Camelot, he did not believe he would find love in the arms of the woman who sheltered him. Merlin seemed to have found something similar in the Lady Morgana. Judging by the sheer duration of the kiss, he could tell they had probably done this many times before. The warlock in question knew his father might be watching but the dragon's departure was a special occassion that needed celebrating.

"Camelot?" Merlin asked panting and, being equally short of breath, she nodded.  
Morgana headed for the horses while Merlin turned towards his father who looked right back at him. The dragonlord chuckled and smiled as he walked past his son.

The ride to Camelot didn't take long but they didn't arrive at the same time. They had agreed on arriving seperately. First Merlin and Morgana would go on one horse and blend in as if they had never left. This required Morgana to get off the horse before Merlin rode into the citadel, pretending it had broken loose. Then Balinor would arrive and ask for an audience with the King.

The plan seemed perfect.

Riding into the lower town, Merlin and Morgana witnessed the devestation left behind by the dragon. Nearly all the wooden buildings were reduced to ash and rubble but the lack of corpses brought them hope. The true horror, however, was when they saw Gwen's home, a stone structure, had been smashed to bits and pieces. Morgana jumped off the horse and rushed towards it. The warlock shouted after her but to no avail and went after her. She was sorting through the scorched rocks with her bare hands.

"Gwen." She whispered in despair although no body could be seen. Merlin pulled her back to her feet and tapped her inside his arms.  
"Morgana, Arthur would never let any harm come to her." His words calmed her some but she was still shaking from the shock.  
Merlin slowly let his arms down and she made a run for the citadel, she needed to know. The warlock did the same and pulled the horse along with him.

When the Lady of Camelot saw her maidservant in the courtyard, talking with Arthur, she damned formalities and hugged her.  
"Morgana?" Arthur asked amazed only to be pulled into an awkward that now consisted out of three people.  
Merlin smiled at the onlookers and passed the reigns of his horse on to a bewildered stable boy.  
"Oh gods, I'm a mess." Morgana said as she wiped the tears from her eyes and smudged makeup.  
"Let me help you with that." Gwen said and took the Lady back to her chambers.

Arthur set eyes upon his manservant whom took it as a cue to make his entrance.  
"Well?" The King asked anxiously.  
"Well what?" Merlin asked with a crooked smile and Arthur gave me a shove.  
"I hope your _chair_ is still in one piece." The servant remarked and the King let out a sigh in relief.

When the balinor finally arrived at the citadel, he loudly stated that he was the dragonlord that dismissed the dragon. It came as no surprise that he was brought before the King with the greatest of suspicions. Some remembered that the dragonlords had been banished from Camelot when magic was made illegal. Most of the guards thought negotiations would follow but such were not his intentions.

When the dragonlord was led into the throne room, Arthur was there with his right hand man, Agravaine, the most valued Lady of Camelot, Morgana, almost of the knights along with part of the staff which included Gwen, Merlin and Freya.  
If Balinor was frightened or tense in general, he didn't show it.

Arthur got up from his throne and went to stand before the dragonlord who was just a little bit taller than him but looked far more daunting.  
"Dragonlord." Arthur called him but paused for a moment. 'Dragonlord' sounded rather authorative and was as descriptive as 'soldier'. This man was more than his rank or station, this man deserved to be known.  
The King spoke once more on a slightly softer and more friendly tone of voice. "Balinor."  
The dragonlord seemed a bit uncomfortable standing between knights on either side of him and remained silent.  
"I believe the kingdom of Camelot owes you a debt of gratitude for taking care of the dragon."  
Balinor seemed to perk up a bit at the news, having a kingdom indebted to you couldn't be a bad thing.  
"My father decreed dragonlords were to be banished along with magic. Camelot would have fallen without you. Why this act of mercy?"  
Balinor cleared his throat rather loudly and some of the knights almost drew their swords.  
"Because I hold a grudge with your father and not you."  
Arthur nodded in understanding. During his time as Prince, Arthur had learned the meaning of nobility from the one knight who was not of noble blood, Lancelot. Nobility did not equal justice, for justice was law, it did not equal honour, for honour alone was nothing but selfish glory, nobility was sacrifice of oneself for the greater good.

Balinor sacrificied personal vengeance, the end of Camelot, for the lives of the innocent that lived there.  
"Uncle." Arthur called Agravaine to his side.  
"Yes, Sire?"  
The King of Camelot was about to receive a place in history. It was a rash decision and after his reign people would either call him wise or a fool.  
For once, Arthur go against his father's wishes and face the consequences if he had to. "Alter the ban on magic, take off the dragonlords."  
The whole room seemed to gasp and drop their jaws in unison. Morgana glanced at Merlin who was smiling in astonishment. It would have to be the first real step towards an Albion united in magic.  
"Are you sure, Sire?" Agravaine proposed the question that was, without a doubt, on almost everyone's mind.  
"He's the last dragonlord. Even if the law condemns him, the existance of dragons means he must survive. Even if magic is evil, this man isn't. He saved Camelot, I see no reason to persecute the dragonlords any longer."  
"V... Very well, Sire." Agravaine still couldn't really believe what had happened but apparently this is what the King wanted.  
"Balinor, you are welcome to stay in one of the guest chambers but I believe they're filled with patients."  
"Thank you, Sire."

Black smoke still rose from the lower town that morning but the fires had died down hours ago. Some of the rubble had been cleared and reconstructions had begun. Gwen's home laid in ruins but found temporary residence under Freya's unscathed roof.

Balinor had stayed in one of the guest chambers but would soon depart. Gaius, Merlin and Balinor had much to reflected upon, mostly on their pasts, and decisions were made.

Merlin was glad the physician's chambers were free of patients once more and he could speak freely with Gaius. The two of them had breakfast together like they used to. The absence of Balinor was due to the ungodly hour on which servants began doing their chores. It was only now that Gaius had the opportunity to speak of the boy's adventure and meeting his father.  
"Arthur isn't Uther." Merlin's story ended on a cheerful note.  
"Balinor said he would be leaving Camelot today. He wants to visit your mother in Ealdor."  
"I hope they get along."  
"Yes, it's a bit much to ask for them to get back together, isn't it?"  
"Not that I'd mind."  
"Unless they'd want another child." Gaius added and the boy's eyes grew wide.  
"Gaius!" Merlin exclaimed in humorous disgust.  
The physician laughed at his ward's reaction and approached a more serious topic. "I trust you'll look after the King while we're gone?"  
Merlin frowned."What do you mean by 'we'?"  
"That I'm going as well, dear boy. It has been a while since I've last visited your mother and I do believe I there is something I have to apologize for."  
He had been ranting against Gaius when he told him of his parentage but now that all seemed so petty.  
"Gaius, I was angry, I didn't-"  
"I know." Gaius interrupted him with a gentle nod. "Still, it'll be good practice for when I do leave."  
"Wait... Leave?" This was one suprise after another.  
"You were right about looking for your father, I should have done that. It reminds me of what I left behind during the Purge, wrongs I need turn right."  
If Merlin had wanted to argue with his guardian, this was the perfect opportunity. More secrets, more faulty decisons he could be blamed for. But Merlin didn't want to argue, they had done enough of that.  
So the warlock merely nodded in understanding. Gaius knew his flaws and now showed the intent of fixing them.

The next time that Merlin stood in the courtyard, it was to see off Balinor. The King was there along with the usual knights and servants.  
"Balinor, I thank you once more." Arthur spoke with the dragonlord.  
"And I thank you for not following your father's example." He replied.  
Everyone's attention was drawn to someone else who was entering the courtyard on horseback and brought his horse next to Balinor's.  
"Going somewhere, Gaius?" Arthur asked.  
"Balinor is travelling east and I've been meaning to visit Hunith for a while now." Merlin knew it was a bit of a fib but one of good intentions.  
Of course the King of Camelot couldn't resist to joke about it. "You're leaving Camelot in the hands of Merlin? Have you thought this through?"  
"Quite, Sire. Those injured by the dragon only need aftercare. Merlin will take my place some day and a few days of practice shouldn't be too harmful."  
"Then I wish you luck on your journey."

It all seemed a bit unreal to Merlin to see both his father and his guardian leave Camelot. Would it be as unreal to see his parent back together again? His heart hoped that day would come. Hopes and dreams, some of them were coming true at last.

Later that day, Merlin met Morgana at the top of one of the towers. It was an unusual arrangement but with so many people going in and out of the city, the risk of being caught was great.  
"I've been waiting for ages." Morgana scolded him.  
"I couldn't get away so I told him I had to visit a patient."  
"And she needs a lot of attention." She said as she pushed herself up against him.  
His lips found hers again but the kiss did not last as long as she wanted it to.  
He looked at her with different eye and a curious smile on his face.  
"What?" She asked and his hand gently caressed her jawline.  
"I found my father, the dragon is gone, Arthur has begun accepting magic and you're in my arms. Right now, things seem so perfect."  
"Your father, how is he?" She asked.  
"He's off to visit my mother with Gaius."  
Morgana was about to respond when she saw something strange outside.  
She moved closer to the window, pulling Merlin along as she did so.  
"There!" She pointed into the forest and Merlin tried to make out what it was.  
"Are those banners?" Merlin asked.  
"Yes, it looks like... Nemeth?" Morgana turned to Merlin but the warlock shrugged and replied. "Arthur didn't mention inviting anyone."  
Morgana began counting the banners and it wasn't a emmisary. "It looks like a small army."

The witch and the warlock hurried down the steps and looked for Arthur. They found him outside, at the high end of the stairs of the courtyard, along with the knights.  
Morgana quickly recomposed herself and stood next to Arthur.  
"Are we expecting someone?" She asked.  
"Princess Mithian of Nemeth." He replied.  
"I don't suppose she brought an army."  
"I did ask her to."  
Morgana wanted to inquire why he did so but the Princess and her troops had already arrived.  
"Princess Mithian." Arthur nodded with his head.  
"King Arthur." She slightly curtsied.  
"I apologize if your chambers are not in order yet, someone had the urge to... redecorate." Arthur joked.  
Mithian smiled "Then I hope my men will be able to put things back together."  
"Freya, please escort Princess Mithian to her chambers."

When Morgana and Arthur were finally alone, the Lady gave him a piece of her mind.  
"Arthur, why the hell did you ask Mithian for an army? Soldiers don't build homes."  
"I sent her help before you had gone. They only just got here and the dragon left less than a day ago."  
"Well, thank you for telling me about it. I thought an army was marching for Camelot!" She said indignantly.  
Arthur shook his head a bit. He wasn't a child and she had no right to talk to him as such. So instead of saying sorry or telling her she was right, he pointed out her flaw.  
With an air of superiority he replied. "I don't _have_ to tell you. Might I remind you that _I _am king and not you."  
This only fueled Morgana's frustrations in the exact same way Uther did before. "The people are your responsability, they don't know that the army on their doorstep isn't the enemy."  
The King rolled his eyes as it seemed she was missing the point. "I just told you, they were here for the BLOODY DRAGON!"  
"They don't know that!" Morgana tried getting _her_ point across as well.  
If Arthur understood, he didn't show it. In his mind it was a rather trivial matter that needed no more attention. "They're safe, it's not my problem!"  
The door opened and Merlin's head popped 'round the corner. "Will you two stop shouting?"  
"Merlin, will you please tell Arthur to stop acting like a prat." The fight between the two of them just reached a new level of childishness.  
"I'm acting like a King should, deal with it." And Arthur followed her childishness by example.  
"Yes, just like your father. Such a great example. Are you going to persecute innocent people next?" She mocked him and Arthur got careless.  
"At least I still have..." Arthur trailed off, it was a blow below the belt and it needn't be said in full to achieve its effect.  
Losing a parent was hard. Arthur had lost his mother and he could barely talk about it. Morgana had lost both her parents and was left even more damaged than he was. She left the room. As she did so her back was towards the King but she had to walk past the manservant who could see the tears.  
He frowned at Arthur, not seeing any reason to hide his disapproval, before going after her and closed the door behind them.  
"Morgana." He caught up with her and she turned to him.  
This was what he hated to see. The red eyes, tears running down her cheeks, mascara where it didn't belong, the trembling of her lower lip, the sight of her when she was hurt.  
"Come here." Merlin wrapped his arms around her and she sobbed against his chest. All he could do was rub her back and tell her everything would be alright.  
What neither had noticed was that Arthur had reopened the door and he could see their embrace.  
"Why is he being so mean?" He hears her ask. Arthur did realise he was being childish but there's something about this moment, Merlin hugging Morgana, that prevented him from aplogizing on the spot.  
Merlin leaned a bit backwards so they can look into each other's eyes.  
"Why don't we go to your chambers? I'll bring up some tea and we'll talk about it, alright?"  
She nodded and he wiped away her tears.  
"No more crying, can't let Arthur see that." He said and gently kissed her forehead.  
Their hands came down from each other and Morgana showed him an apologetic smile.  
Arthur almost closed the door but left it slightly ajar.  
The King found it difficult to comprehend. Morgana never let anyone come close to her feelings. Gwen seemed an exception but they grew up together. To Arthur's knowledge, no man had ever set foot in the heart of the Lady Morgana. The smile she had shown the manservant was the most puzzling thing of all. Showing her tears was a rare thing for her but accepting affection like that, romantically or otherwise, was even more rare. As far as Arthur could remember, she had never let a man touch her. So even that gentle kiss on her forehead should've been rewarded with a slap across the face.

Opening the door again, they were gone. Whatever had happened between them during their quest for the dragonlord, all he could do was guess.

The King and the Lady did not see each other until it was nearly time for supper.  
"Morgana." He tried calling her but she ignored him. "The town crier is telling the people about Nemeth's aid and I'm sorry."  
"For what?" She asked behind a stone cold face.  
"Being mean to you."  
"Ah, that. You were just being your pratish self, weren't you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and the King had to fight a smile. It was hard to miss Merlin's word in that sentence.  
"Yes, I was." He admitted.  
"Good." She said casually and walked past him.

The damage done to the dining hall was one of the first to be mended. Arthur sat where Uther once did, at the head of the table, with Morgana to his right, Mithian to his left and Agravaine next to Morgana. It was an unusual setup but it allowed both Morgana and Arthur to converse with Mithian without much hassle. So whether the topic would be politics or the latest fashion, their guest was bound to be in good company. Merlin, Gwen and Freya were at their beck and call as usual.  
The main topic was, of course, the dragon.  
"When reports came about a dragon attacking Camelot, I could hardly believe it." Mithian said surprisingly light-heartedly.  
"You've seen the devestation it left behind." Arthur remarked but that wasn't all she knew.  
"And you were saved by a dragonlord even though they are banished from Camelot." Mithian continued and Arthur moved uneasily in his chair.  
Morgana revelled in the opportunity of putting Arthur in an awkward position, the man had refrained from eating further already. "Not anymore." She said.  
Mithian's quizzical gaze shifted from Morgana to the King who could say little but the truth of the matter.  
"We've altered the law against magic to no longer include the dragonlords." He confessed.  
"Don't they have magic?" Asked Mithian who received an approving look from Agravaine which went unnoticed by everyone including the princess.  
Arthur wanted to say she was wrong but was at a loss of words. There was no proof that they did or didn't have magic. The powers of the dragonlords did lean towards the Old Religion and for Uther that had been proof enough.  
The King silently praised the gods when Morgana took the conversation in a different direction.  
"It's like potions, really. The effects can not always be explained but to call it magic is debateable." The Lady of Camelot just proved herself to be worthy of her station once more.  
Arthur then jumped at the opportunity before him to sound noble and honourable."And I'd rather not condemn an innocent man."  
"Your father would disapprove." Mithian replied plainly but it was apparent that she was trying to gauge his reaction and try and see what kind of man the new King of Camelot was.  
Arthur thought more or less the same thing he had done when he commanded Agravaine to lift the ban, this time he said it aloud. "My father isn't King."  
"Bold." Mithian remarked and a little twinkle in her eyes said that she liked it.  
The rest of their conversation was a lot lighter on politics. Taxes were one such thing and for once Arthur was glad when Morgana began talking dresses with another woman in front of him.

After supper, the King and the Princess retreated to his study for the other purpose of her visit.  
"The courrier stated you wanted to negotiate concerning the lands of Gedref."  
"Yes. Our Kingdoms have been at odds over these lands for years and I want to resolve it before it gets out of hand."  
"What do you propose?"  
"There are a few things in which I'd like Nemeth's support. I can keep making decisions but if no one supports them, I will soon find myself without allies."  
"Let me guess, the alteration of the magic law?"  
"And one other thing. If you agree, the whole of Gedref is yours."  
There was a pause much to Mithian's surprise. Camelot's demands were _support in the altered law against magic and 'one other thing'._  
The price didn't seem all that high but 'one other thing' wasn't even descriptive of anything at all. It was no secret that Nemeth dearly wanted the lands of Gedref but to accept a demand regardless of what it was would be rash and plain foolish. For all she knew, he wanted help invading some other country or to marry her. Heavens forbid, that would needed some thought to say the least.  
"Arthur, I can't tell the value of something when I don't know what it is."  
The King took a deep breath as she was obviously right to ask but explaining it was difficult since it was not even certain than there would be a second demand.  
He tried, regardless of how much sense it would make. "There's something I've been meaning to do for a while now. It's not a law, it's not magic or even anything of the sort. It's personal but doing it will mean I'll be stepping on the toes of quite a some noble families. But if Nemeth approves, I have a feeling others will follow suit."  
Mithian was squinting. She tried reading between the lines but she couldn't quite make out what it was he was after. Nemeth's approval, he had said as much, but on what?  
"I am glad you are willing to relinquish your ancient claims to Gedref but I must ask why."  
Again Arthur needed a moment to formulate his thoughts into a coherent sentence which would not give away too much.  
"Our relations with Gedref are... strained. Turning Gedref over to Nemeth will ease the tension greatly and should avoid future conflict." That was his best description on the issue he had with Lady Luna and her ilk.  
"Anything that seems too good to be true usually is. Anything I should be aware of?" She smelled a rat and it was definitely there. It was a wise decision to send her to negotiate.  
Arthur had to consider the possibilities. _Should she?_ The Siren that targeted Merlin was a person with great influence but Mithian didn't know that. Arthur wanted to place sanctions on Gedref but found that he couldn't. They were too dependant on Gedref for numerous goods. The King's problem was that Gedref belonged to his kingdom but he could not rule over it the way a King should. Would it harm Mithian to not know? He doubted Nemeth's physician was a former sorcerer. No one in Nemeth's court had magic and those were the kind of people the Sirens were after. He shook his head and so did Mithian.  
"I'm not going to agree until I know what it is you seek our approval for." She said.  
Arthur nodded in understanding. He had hoped she would agree without a second thought so very dearly. He took something from his pocket and turned it around a few times before answering.  
"I'll make some arrangements and you'll hear it tomorrow."

Arthur was glad that, although she was yet to accept his offer, his explanation was suffice for now.  
"Merlin!" He shouted and the manservant came from just around the corner.  
"That was quick." Merlin remarked. Of course he was expecting an explanation but that wasn't coming. The King had something else on his mind entirely.  
"Is the room ready?" Arthur asked and the manservant raised his brows in surprise.  
"You want to do it now?!" He exclaimed.  
"Stop being such a girl and answer the question."  
"The room itself is fine but wardrobe is empty the tailor's workshop got burned to the ground." _Idiot, clotpole, girl?_ Arthur didnt know what to say in response. He wanted things to be absolutely perfect but apparently this was as good as it would get.  
"It'll have to do."

Meanwhile, Freya was arguing with Gwen. She was regretting her decision to shelter Gwen. They shared a bed which was made for two, a luxury considering so many people shared a single bed with two or even three people. So space wasn't an issue, the sheets weren't an issue but Gwen still was. Lovely, kind and decent Gwen wasn't aware of it but she was a restless sleeper. In the middle of the night, Gwen's hand would end up in her face. The first time that happened, Freya thought she was being attacked.  
When a familiar face knocked on the door, Freya naturally let him in.  
"Could I borrow Gwen for a moment?" Merlin asked.  
"We were discussing something important, actually." Freya said as she crossed her arms. The sleeping arrangements obviously had to be sorted out before either of them went to bed.  
"Yeah, I heard outside. Why is everyone shouting today?"  
"What do you need me for, Merlin?" Gwen asked.  
"Hang on, we're not done yet." Freya interjected.  
Merlin went over to Freya and whispered something in her ear.  
"Go." The former druid girl beckoned both of them to leave.  
Gwen could only wonder what the serving boy had to her, not knowing she would find out soon enough.

On their way back to the castle, Merlin thanked the heavens Freya had kept her cool about what he had told her. Gwen had noticed it as well and wondered what her friend had told her. She asked, Merlin avoided the question, and she didn't know what to think of it. He was nervous though, that should've been clear to Freya as well. It didn't have anything to do with her sleeping habits, would it?

Within the thick walls of the citadel, their walk grew to a halt in front of a door. Instead of leading her, he motioned her to go in alone.  
Slowly Gwen opened the door to reveal a majestic bedroom the size of Freya's home. The bed, which was meant for two, and the closet were made of oak and decorated with graceful carvings that seemed to tell a story of its own. There was more decorative furniture such as a vanity, two nightstands and an empty bookcase that was empty save for a few paper weights.  
By the window stood a table and two chairs of which one was occupied by a smiling Arthur who stood up the moment she saw him.  
"Wow, this is impressive. Whom are these chambers for? Mithian?" Gwen asked with a wonderous smile and Arthur bit his lip in thought.  
"They're for you." He said. She looked at him as if he had gone mad. Did this all have to do with her sleeping habits after all?  
"Me?" She asked curiously and his smile widend.  
"You need a place to stay, don't you?" He said with a slight chuckle.s  
Gwen shook her head, this was beyond reasoning. "I'm staying at Freya's. Besides, don't you think this is a bit much?"  
"For a servant? But you..." Arthur trailed off and took a deep breath. He took her hands in his and went down on one knee. "Gwen, Guinevere, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

* * *

**AN:**

Mithian is being as delightful as ever and Arthur proposed to Guinevere. I'm very early, aren't I?  
With the Meer family being a potential enemy, it is best to let Nemeth take care of Gedref.


End file.
